Big Hero 6: A Fine Line
by Griffin Stone
Summary: Hiro's just trying to live his life without Tadashi, but things have a way of turning upside down around him. After Hiro's life is saved by a mysterious stranger, Big Hero 6 is thrown into chaos as the stranger leads them to amazing -and horrifying- secrets. The line between hero and villain has never been so blurred, and one wrong step could tear the team apart.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first Big Hero 6 fanfiction, so please tell me if I slaughter characterizations. (Especially Hiro. I've got Voltron on the brain, so he might come out kind of "fight me!" XD)**

**Originally, I wasn't going to have this prologue. But, since I'm starting on April 1st, I'll mess with you with my favorite kind of prologue: the flashforwad! XD**

* * *

San Fransokyo was in a state of disaster. Cars were in parks, on sidewalks, everywhere that they shouldn't have been. Every light in the city was out, casting alleys in darkness and causing confused residents to pour out of buildings. People ran all over, confused by the earlier fight that had put the city into such a statee. The campus…

The sight of the campus, now a massive circle bare dirt where cement and metal had once towered and surrounded by collapsed buildings, made Hiro want to throw up.

The rest of the team, standing beside Hiro atop a badly damaged building, wasn't much better. Wasabi looked like he might actually throw up. Fred was wide-eyed and quacking. Go Go had vanished at the first sight of the collapsing city, racing off without a plan other than to get people to safety. Only Honey Lemon, eyes flickering as she searched out the places that her chem-balls would be most effective, and Baymax didn't seem so shaken.

"We have to help them."

The firm voice shook the team out of their stupor. They turned to their leader.

Even covered in dust and smoke, blue armor scratched, and bruised, Tadashi stood confident as he scanned the destruction. He gave a short nod, then looked at the team.

"Go Go's working freeing people furthest from here. Wasabi, start freeing those trapped in vehicles and buildings that with the worst damage. Fred, go with Wasabi and see what you can do about the fires. Honey Lemon, take Baymax and help the injured. Hiro, you're with me. We'll clear the buildings."

Everyone voiced affirmation, calming under Tadashi's steady leadership. Baymax flew Tadashi, Hiro, Wasabi, and Fred to the ground, while Honey Lemon jumped onto a squishy platform from a chem-ball.

Tadashi studied the platform, then caught Honey Lemon's attention before she could leave. "Can I get some of those?"

Honey Lemon nodded and made a dozen of the chem-balls. She handed them over to Tadashi, then ran toward the sound of pained voices with Baymax waddling behind. Wasabi and Fred pulled down their visor and hood, then ran toward the largest flames.

"So far, most of the buildings are intact, so we'll split up to cover more ground," Tadashi said to Hiro. "We'll mostly be dealing with confusion and no lights inside. Just keep everyone calm, and get them outside. Call if you need help."

Tadashi was about to sprint off, when he realized that Hiro hadn't moved. The younger boy was staring blankly ahead.

"Hey." Tadashi crouched in front of Hiro. "I know this is scary-"

"I'm not scared. Ex-bot fighter, remember?," Hiro interrupted with a brief smirk. He sobered. "Not… not of this. But… how?"

"If I could answer that one, bro, I would. But the only one who can explain is, well..." Tadashi shook his head and gave Hiro an encouraging grin. "We'll sort it out later. Once this is all fixed."

"We can't," Hiro said.

Voices from above distracted Tadashi briefly. "Look, now isn't the time to get discouraged, okay? Can you handle the rescues? I understand if you don't want to."

Hiro blinked, coming back from wherever his thoughts had gone. He focused on Tadashi with a startling intensity.

"This is my fault."

Hiro turned and tried to bolt, but Tadashi caught the collar of his armor and dragged Hiro back to face him again.

"What? No, no! This is-"

Hiro didn't let him finish again. "I can fix this, but I… I just can't!"

"Woah, slow down, Hiro." Tadashi lightly shook his brother. "We'll do it together. What do you need to do?"

"Get to the university. My project will fix this," Hiro said blankly.

Tadashi stared at him. "Did you know this would happen?" Hiro shrugged. "How?"

"The same way I knew we needed our suits." Hiro shrugged helplessly. "I just did."

"We can figure this out later," Tadashi decided. He lifted his wrist. "Team, Hiro and I are going to go and fix this. Until we get back, Go Go's in charge."

"Aw, man!" Wasabi protested.

"No arguments," Tadashi said, then closed the comms and turned in the direction that Hiro had started to run. "Okay, Hiro, let's go."

"Wait!" Hiro grabbed Tadashi's wrist. "I-if we do this… the same thing that told me that we needed our suits and to start on my project..."

"Yes?" Tadashi said gently.

"I-I think that… that if I fix this…" Hiro shook his head. "Tadashi, I think that it means you dying!"

Tadashi jolted back, expression briefly showing shock before determination. "We'll figure it out later. Right now, we have to get to the university."

The boys looked in the direction of the university, where a roiling mass of microbots was headed.

Tadashi lightly slapped Hiro's shoulder. "Come on, we have to get there while the university still has power."

"But-"

"We'll figure it out," Tadashi said firmly.

Hiro frowned, but nodded. "Okay, just don't do anything stupid."

Tadashi laughed as he started to run. "I think I should be the one saying that to you!"

"Huh, funny," Hiro drawled, following Tadashi.

Continuing the banter, the brothers ran through the darkened city.


	2. Alley Watch

**A/N: Geez, this ended up short.**

**If anyone reading this is familiar with the BH6 cartoon and doesn't mind answering a few questions, could you PM me?**

* * *

It was too late for most people to be up. At midnight, the trolley had long since parked for the night. No normal person had a reason to be out so late, so the streets of San Fransokyo were deserted.

Almost.

A single figure crept along an alleyway. Moonlight glinted against their dark blue-grey armor. A dark visor hid the figure's face. They moved slowly until reaching the glowing window of a garage. They slowly peered inside to see what was likely the only other person still awake at that hour.

A fifteen-year old boy was kneeling on a stool and bending over something on the table in front of him. His messy black hair slipped into his face, earning a frown and a quick swipe of his hand.

The motion dislodged the cap perched on the back of his head. The boy turned quickly as the cap slid back, lost his balance while the cap missed his flailing fingers, and fell backwards to hit the ground with his body weirdly twisted around.

The stranger watching made a huffing sound that was unmistakably a laugh as the boy fumbled for the hat stuck under him.

Motion from the corner caught the stranger's attention as a red box opened up. A tall, white robot quickly inflated to its marshmallow-like form and waddled over to the boy. The robot effortlessly picked the boy up and set him on his feet. The boy tried to wave it off, but the robot shifted back-and-forth until the boy apparently answered something it was asking.

While the exchange continued, the stranger turned their attention to the device in which the boy had been tinkering. The angle was too poor for the stranger to make out details beyond the device being flat with flat-tipped spikes poking out.

Shaking their head, the stranger scanned the items cluttering the room. After a minute, a disappointed sigh escaped the stranger.

The stranger's thoughts were distracted as the boy turned toward the window. For a split-second, brown eyes met the black visor.

The stranger ducked quickly out of sight and sprinted down the alley. They ducked around the corner just as there was the sound of a door opening.

"Who's there?" the boy called, though he didn't make any move into the alley. "Baymax, did you see that?"

The robot's monotone voice responded, "I did not see anything, Hiro. You have been awake for twenty-four hours, though. I would suggest going to bed. You have classes in eight hours."

"I'm not hallucinating, Baymax," Hiro drawled. There was the sound of a closing door as Hiro retreated without further investigation.

The stranger nodded to themselves before turning and slipping further into the shadows.

* * *

**Guest review responses!**

**Random Fan: -evil chuckle- I'd love to answer that, but that would kind of spoil it, so...**

**Guest: Thanks! 0w0**


	3. Hanging Around

**A/N: In the process of writing this, I realized that I know nothing of the workings of a university. So, this chapter may be slightly rushed as I cover the important points and move on...**

**This takes place a year after the movie and should work with movie canon. I do have a few people or elements from the manga. Since I haven't seen the cartoon, I'm going to treat that as if it didn't happen. So far, the only thing I've used from the cartoon is the fact that the university dean is a woman.**

* * *

Some day, Hiro would invent an alarm clock that actually _worked._ Oh, his alarm clock worked well enough. Aunt Cass said it was loud enough to wake the dead, but apparently Hiro slept deeper than that.

"I'm so gonna be late!" were the first words out of Hiro's mouth most mornings, and this day was no different.

"Useless!" Hiro yelped for good measure as he slapped off the alarm.

Dressing was a hasty matter, and there was a high chance that this was the fourth day on the jeans that Hiro put on. He slowed briefly to grab Tadashi's hat from the bedpost and shoved it into his backpack beside the textbooks and Microbot.

He barreled into the cafe kitchen, jerking his university sweatshirt to face forward and rubbing Mochi in passing.

"Hiro, good morning," Aunt Cass greeted, dodging out of her nephew's way. "Sorry I couldn't wake you, the cafe has been a madhouse."

Hiro ducked backward to give Aunt Cass a quick hug. "No later than normal. Gotta go!"

"Max has breakfast!" Aunt Cass called as Hiro dashed away.

"Thanks, Aunt Cass!" Hiro grabbed the donut held up by Mini-Max, the tiny Baymax replica who kept Aunt Cass company. "Thanks, Max, watch out for thumbtacks."

Mini-Max waved jerkily. Hiro grinned, then looked at the clock. He bolted out the kitchen and down the stairs to the garage. He plunked a helmet onto his head, threw open the garage door, and sped off on Tadashi's old Vespa.

It was somewhat of a miracle that Hiro, driving faster than sensible and going one-handed as he ate his breakfast, never wrecked. It helped that pedestrians who regularly passed that way in the morning recognized the sound of the Vespa approaching and moved to the side to let him pass.

Even while he expertly avoided the slower pedestrians, bikes, and other vehicles, Hiro kept an eye on the rooftops. For the last few weeks, he had been seeing something or someone following him. He never got a good look, just a flash of light or a glimpse of something metallic, and the others assumed that it was sleep-deprivation was getting to him.

Which he found just insulting. Fall asleep in class two or three -dozen- times and everyone assumed he didn't get enough sleep.

The race to the university went without a sighting, and Hiro brushed the possible follower out of his mind. He ran inside, tugging on his jacket in an attempt to remove the wrinkles from laying bunched under his bed at night, then gave up to rub at a cream smear from the donut.

"I see Mr. Hamada has finally decided to grace us with his presence."

Hiro froze, sheepishly raising his eyes to peer through his bangs at the roomful of students staring at him. His eyes fell on Wasabi, who gave him a look of horror before burying his face in his hands.

"I am over here, Mr. Hamada."

Hiro turned slowly and straightened to give the Professor his most charming smile. Professor Aquino, of course, wasn't impressed. He waved a chubby hand at Hiro and turned back to the blackboard.

"Just sit down. Now, as I was _trying_ to say before I was interrupted…"

Giving a silent sigh of relief and a quick bow, Hiro scurried to his spot and slid in beside Go Go.

Professor Aquino was a harsh man, despite his harmless and… squishy appearance. Shorter than half the students in the room and with enough width to make up for his height, Professor Aquino was as unassuming as they came. But he had the voice of a foghorn and a short fuse for disrespect.

Hiro had quickly learned that it was best to treat the professor the same way he treated a cocky, long-time bot fighter. Keep your head down and smart comments to yourself.

Besides, though the professor had a tendency to say "neuron" while writing "electron" on the board during his lectures, he was still a brilliant man.

Go Go, keeping her eyes forward, held an open hand out of sight under the desk. Hiro quietly low-fived her. Wasabi, sitting in front of the pair, put a hand against his forehead.

* * *

Hiro's favorite part of the day was when school ended, no offense to the teachers. Classrooms were quiet and sitting still while professors droned on. After classes, though, was open lab work.

Open lab work was _interesting_. Students experimented with the impossible, like jetpacks. They _did_ the impossible, like the invisibility suit Nava was perfecting. They planned to do the impossible, like, say… time travel.

At the start of every school year, every student was given a section in the open lab and a private lab for more secret projects.

By the end of week two, most students had inevitably joined forces with other students with the same interest, spilled out of their section of the open lab, and abandoned their private lab altogether. Because of this, it wasn't unusual to encounter some… interesting situations in the open lab.

* * *

"Spider's on the ceiling," Go Go commented off-handedly.

Hiro hummed, then blinked as the words sunk in. He turned from Wasabi's plasma gloves to look at the girl, who was staring up. Hiro and his friends followed her gaze.

Brody -nicknamed Spider- was, indeed, standing on the ceiling. The brown-haired boy was waving his arms in what was either excitement or fear. It was hard to tell with the jittery boy. The cause of his predicament was his experiment: the All-Terrain Shoes, or ATS for short.

"I thought those were for ground work only!" Wasabi yelled up.

"They are!" Brody's green eyes found Wasabi. "But they malfunctioned and, well, the magnetic grippers work!"

By then, most of the students had noticed Brody's situation. A few of the students clapped, assuming that Brody had succeeded on his two-year long project.

"Well, get down here, before you fall," Wasabi said.

"Um, I'd love to, but… malfunction," Brody said, letting his arms hang loose. "A little help?"

"Hey, Spider," Fred chimed in, "You did tie your shoes, right?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. As if on cue, Brody slipped slightly down. He looked down -or up- at the ATS.

Eight little legs sprouted from his shoes to grab onto whatever sort of surface they encountered. A rubber ball with suction cups and spikes on either side tipped each of the spindly legs. The shoes themselves were rather ordinary. And, currently, untied.

Brody quickly crouched and reached for the ATS', but the sudden action only jerked him out of his shoes. He was falling!

Honey Lemon bolted for her table, then there was a burst of fire from the group and a young woman in a metallic grey vest shot into the air. She grabbed Brody mid-fall and, with the help of the jetpack on the back of her vest, dropped them both gently to the ground.

Once her feet hit ground, she dropped Brody and scrambled to jerk off the vest. Another boy ran forward and tugged the vest off. The back of the young woman's shirt was smoking.

"That was foolish, Abigail," her lab partner berated, taking off his jacket and patting out the smoke.

"I'm here to make sure no one gets hurt, Jackson," Abigail said with an easy smile. She craned her neck to look at her singed shirt. "Field Test one went better than I thought it would, though."

Jackson sighed and tugged the older woman toward their station. The students started to drift away now that the excitement was over. Brody left in search of a ladder to retrieve his shoes.

"Good thing the teachers didn't see that," Go Go said as the team returned to Wasabi's station. "After Honey Lemon's explosion last week, they've been jumpy."

Honey Lemon giggled sheepishly as the team turned to her station. Hard, purple goo still clung to the wall and table.

"Isn't that why Glitch is here? To keep an eye on the students?" Wasabi asked, returning to working at one of the panels on his plasma gloves.

Most of Fred's nicknames were self-explanatory, but none of the other teens could figure out from where Fred had come up with his nickname for Abigail. Fred claimed that if they knew anything about Abigail, it was pretty obvious. Needless to say, they still didn't get it.

"I think Glitch is more student than us most of the time," Go Go said drily. "Monitor's more likely to rat us out than her."

"Oh, Monitor's not so bad," Wasabi defended Jackson.

"We could have cleaned up Honey Lemon's glowing goo before it hardened if he hadn't lectured us on lab safety for half an hour," Go Go argued. "No one would have known. What happens in the lab, stays in the lab."

"I'm pretty sure Glitch gives a report to the dean at the end of each day," Fred offered. He went on in a mysterious voice, "Every explosion, every _combustion_, she knows. Nothing escapes her."

"She's just trying to keep us safe," Honey Lemon said.

"Do you find it weird?" Hiro spoke up for the first time. He lowered his voice when the others looked at him. "Callaghan's daughter being here?"

His friends looked uncomfortably at each other and remained silent. There wasn't really an answer for Hiro's question, and any attempts in the past at discussion usually ended with frustration on all ends.

After a moment of silence, Hiro pushed away from the table. "I have to get something."

Hiro walked slowly from the room. He glanced at Jackson and Abigail's station, where the dark-haired boy was making adjustments to the jetpack while Abigail rubbed burn cream on her back.

Abigail was older than most students by at least five years. Officially, she was a mentor in the robotics lab. To most of the students, though, she was one of them. She could be more reckless than Go Go, but knew the limits of herself and the students and was extremely helpful for solving issues.

Hiro was the only one who hadn't warmed up to Abigail. She sometimes approached him in open lab, but Hiro could never meet her eyes. On the rare occasion that he did look up, her eyes were averted as well. The whole lab would go silent when the pair talked, but no one knew how to fix the issue.

Besides, how was one supposed to address the tension between them? It wasn't like Abigail could have done anything to change the situation, but it was because of her that Tadashi was gone.

* * *

**A/N: Professor Aquino is from the manga, as is Mini-Max. I added Mini-Bax, though.**

**I wanted to include Abigail in this because, unless she moved elsewhere, how Hiro might respond to her needed to be addressed. I will be having a confrontation between Hiro and Callaghan at some point as well.**

**Guest review responses!**

**Randon Fan: That's me: mystery! XD Be sure to let me know when you are able to post! I'm a willing reader. 0w0 Hopefully this chapter wasn't too dull for you, things will pick up in the next one!**


	4. Face Your Fears

**A/N: Don't get used to such long chapters. The first part was too boring for a chapter, then I didn't dare cut off anywhere else. I accidentally head-cannoned in this chapter, but I think it adds to the humor.**

**People always have a warning when their story includes panic attacks, so consider yourself warned? I'm not sure if there are any triggers, but figured I should probably throw that out for this chapter. Also, the next chapter will be tricky to write, so bear with me, please.**

**Now, brace yourself.**

* * *

Hiro had Tadashi's old lab. Unlike when Tadashi used it, the lab was in a perpetual state of chaos under Hiro's watch.

On either side of the door was two low shelves; the left shelf was slightly shorter in width, yet both went from door frame to wall. Books filled the right shelf, and random robot parts overfilled the left one. The left wall had been redone into a climbing wall that went to the ceiling. Diagrams littered the right and far wall. A table, covered in tools, pencils, and a scattering of deactivated microbots took up the center of the room. The remaining floor space was occupied with books, papers with theories scribbled across them, magnets, and palm-sized metal panels. A 3-D printer was shoved into the far left corner.

"Hey, Bax," Hiro mumbled as he trudged across the mess.

Mini-Bax, a twin of Mini-Max, activated and waved a chubby hand. He stood on top of a low shelf against the far wall, to the right of the lab's window. This shelf was neatly displaying picture frames and prototype bots that Tadashi had once built.

"I have a message from Aunt Cass," Bax said in his tinny voice. He and Mini-Max were connected, so Hiro and Aunt Cass could exchange messages.

Hiro hummed. He grabbed the hat he had left on Bax's head earlier that day. He studied the SFIT logo on the front for a moment, then put the hat on his own head.

"I have a message," Bax persisted, waddling forward.

"Go on," Hiro said, crouching.

"She wants to know if you ate your lunch, or spent your lunch hour in the lab," Bax said.

"I did eat."

"And the carrots?"

Hiro dropped his eyelids so they were half open. "Yes, even the carrots. Gagged the whole time."

Bax blinked at him. "Is that the complete message?"

"Uh, er, no! Just tell her that I ate my carrots," Hiro rushed to say.

Bax chimed. "Message sent."

Hiro hummed again. He shuffled through a pile of papers at his feet before pulling out a diagram of Wasabi's plasma gloves. He didn't move for some time, until the door opening caught his attention.

"Hey, Hi- gah, it's just me, Bax!"

Hiro popped his head up from behind the table, laughing when he saw Wasabi dodging out of sight. Hiro turned to Bax, whose mini lasers had emerged at the entrance of the "intruder."

"Easy, Bax, you know Wasabi," Hiro chuckled.

Bax beeped, then the lasers disappeared into his arms. He waddled to the edge of the shelf and bowed.

"Apologies, Wasabi," Bax said.

Wasabi poked his head back into view. "Yeah, uh, no harm done. Hiro, I was just coming to see if you… needed some help?"

"Oh, you aren't doing any helping in this room," Hiro said.

"Would it hurt for you to organize a little bit?" Wasabi said, gesturing to the mess.

"I know exactly where everything is," Hiro said, standing. "A place for everything, and everything in its place."

Wasabi raised an eyebrow. "If that's true, why does that stack of books keep moving from one corner to another?"

"And why does everyone insist on sending you to fetch me every time?" Hiro asked, standing. "You always tell me to clean up."

"And you always ignore me," Wasabi said.

The boys stared at each other defiantly until Hiro broke the stare-off with a grin. They had the same discussion almost every time Wasabi saw Hiro's lab.

"Anyway, we were getting ready to head home," Wasabi said, jutting a thumb over his shoulder. "Are you coming, or do we have to give Aunt Cass the unfortunate news that you won't be making it?"

"No, no, I'm going," Hiro said. He shoved the papers under the table with his foot.

Wasabi nodded and left. Hiro picked up his backpack and put the hat inside. He started to follow, but paused at the door. He looked at the climbing wall and smiled.

"Closing up for the day, Bax," Hiro said. "Could you let Aunt Cass know that I'm headed home?"

Bax nodded and chimed. "Message sent."

Hiro started to turn, but froze when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Stepping closer to the wall, Hiro fiddled with one of the footholds while trying to subtly look out the window. When nothing else moved, Hiro turned quickly.

Nothing.

"Probably just a student," Hiro muttered, going to the door. He paused. "Bax, keep a close watch."

Hiro closed the door and jogged after Wasabi back to the open lab. Besides Hiro's friends, only Brody and a couple boys still working on getting the ATS down remained.

"Hey, didn't mean to keep you waiting," Hiro said.

Honey Lemon turned. "Something's happening."

Hiro hurried to the table, and saw that Go Go had her police scanner out. It was with the police scanner that the team found out about emergencies that needed their help.

"There's a house fire a couple blocks from here," Go Go said. "It was just called in." She glanced at Hiro. "It'll take at least five minutes for the fire department to arrive."

"We can get there quicker," Hiro decided quickly. Every second counted when it came to fires.

"We've never dealt with a fire before," Wasabi said as the team scattered for their gear.

"We can handle it. Go Go will go ahead to see how bad it is. Fred's suit is fireproof and Baymax can help anyone who might be hurt," Hiro said. "We can do this."

Fred returned, having grabbed his spare suit from a discarded locker. The other teens kept spare suits in their private labs, and suited up quickly. Wasabi put on his plasma gloves from his station, and Honey Lemon removed the crocheted cover for her purse. Hiro sent the address of the fire to Baymax.

The team gathered in the open lab, fully suited up. Wasabi and Honey Lemon, since they didn't have full helmets, grabbed some spare rebreather masks kept in the lab in case of fires. Hiro nodded to them, then they ran out the door.

"Good luck!" Brody called from atop a ladder. He glanced at the boy across from him. "What happens in the lab…"

"Stays in the lab," Jackson finished with a sigh.

* * *

Go Go reached the burning house in under a minute, but the fire had spread quicker than she had thought possible. Already, the second story of the house was half engulfed in flames.

A quick scan found a dozen people in the front yard of the burning house. To the left, neighbors were hosing down their house in an effort to save it. The neighbors to the right hadn't reacted as quickly, and flames were licking at their roof.

Go Go raced up to a man with a cell phone. "Is everyone out of the house?"

"I-I think so? I live across the street, I don't know," the man said, staring at the blaze.

Go Go's eyes ran over the people on the lawn. A woman clutched two kids and a man held his burned right arm. They were probably the family of the house.

"Is everyone out?" Go Go asked the man, guiding the man toward Baymax as the healthcare robot landed nearby.

"I-I don't know." The man coughed harshly. "The oven caught fire. Bev ran out before me with the kids."

"Toby!" The woman suddenly screamed.

Go Go spun around in time to see the wife start to run toward the house. She raced in front of the woman to block her from running into the fire.

"Ma'am, you can't go in there!" Go Go yelled when Bev tried to push her out of the way.

"Toby's still in there! He's in his room!" Bev screamed.

"We're going to get him out!" Go Go shook the woman, forcing her to look at her. "But we can't get Toby if we're rescuing you, too!" She pointed to the kids sitting in the lawn. "Right now, those two kids need you to keep calm and get them to safety, got it?"

Bev looked past Go Go, then gave a small nod. She stumbled toward the kids. Go Go grabbed her shoulder briefly.

"Where is Toby's room?" Go Go asked.

"Second story, left side of the house," Bev said in a numb tone.

"Front or back?"

"...back."

"Thank you. Don't worry, we'll get him out."

Go Go let Bev move on, then glanced down the street as the rest of the team ran up. She skated over to them to quickly report.

"There's still a kid inside this house. Left back bedroom on the second story."

Hiro didn't respond. Go Go looked at him in frustration, then shock.

If Hiro had heard a word that Go Go had said, he didn't show it. He was staring wide-eyed past her at the burning house.

"Hey!" Go Go waved a hand in Hiro's face. "Focus."

"I-I-I" Hiro stammered, eyes still on the blaze.

"Uh, little dude?" Fred tried.

"We don't have time," Go Go said, releasing Hiro. "F and W," -they used initials for anonymity's sake- "go after the kid. His name's Toby." The boys nodded and ran toward the fire. "HL, stay with H. Update the fire fighters when they get here. I'll make sure the other houses are evacuated."

Go Go glanced once more at the shaking Hiro, then skated off. Honey Lemon watched the team separate, then looked down at Hiro.

"Hiro?"

She put a gentle hand on Hiro's shoulder. Hiro sprang away from her, landing tensely a few feet away. He looked quickly around, then focused on Honey Lemon.

"I-I'm sorry," Hiro said shakily. "I j-just saw the fire and…"

Honey Lemon reached out slowly. This time, Hiro didn't flinch away from her. She gave him a sympathetic smile. He tried to return it, then shuddered and turned away.

"How's it going in there?" Go Go asked over the comms.

"There's a lot of debris in here," Wasabi said. "I'm moving what I can, but-" he yelped, "but the structure's getting unstable!"

"Here!" Fred said. "If I can…"

"It's too small!" Wasabi said.

"I'll just-"

"No, don't take off the suit!" Wasabi cut Fred off. "A beam fell across the hall at the top of the stairs. We can't get past it!"

"Looking for a way from the outside," Go Go said tersely, darting into the alley between the houses.

"I hear him!" Fred called. "Hey, Toby! Can you hear us?"

The following silence was broken by the house creaking.

"It's getting hot in here," Wasabi said. "GG, any luck?"

"Flames have spread too far. I can't reach the second story windows!"

"How big is the hole?" Hiro abruptly asked. "Under the beam?"

"Couple of feet. I could fit, but the suit's too bulky," Fred said. "HL, how about inventing firescreen. You know, like sunscreen, but for fire?"

"F, not now!" Wasabi scolded.

Hiro turned back to the burning house. His eyes flickered from the flames to the family huddled near Baymax. His head cocked, then his eyes narrowed. He closed his visor and switched to helmet comm.

"Then I'll fit."

Hiro started running before anyone could respond. He ducked through the flaming doorway, and was relieved to see the stairs just a short way from the door. He ran to the top of the stairs, where Wasabi and Fred crouched in front of flaming debris.

"Hiro, what are you doing here?!" Wasabi demanded.

Hiro didn't respond or slow. When he was near the debris, he threw himself flat to slide under the beam. He came to a stop and stared at the smoky, panting.

"H! H, can you hear me?" Wasabi demanded.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Hiro said, standing carefully.

The entire hall was ablaze. Hiro could barely hear the sounds of whimpering over the roar of the flames.

For a second, Hiro froze. His breath quickened as he stared at the flickering flames. Smoke filled the air, making it hard to see. He couldn't hear-

"H!"

Hiro jumped and looked at his wrist-com. "Y-yeah, I'm here."

"Focus, H!" Go Go ordered, as if she could see he had frozen. "Get Toby and get out of there, quick!"

"Right, right," Hiro said, shaking himself. He looked at the beam. "I'll be right back."

Hiro treaded carefully down the hall, testing each step as he went. The floor creaked and groaned, but held.

When Hiro reached Toby's room, the flames hadn't quite reached it. The room was full of smoke, though.

Hiro scanned the room. A small bed occupied one corner, and there was a table and dresser against the wall across from it. Toys spilled across the floor from the toy chest at the foot of the bed and drawings covered the walls. There was no sign of Toby.

"Toby!" Hiro called. "Come on, Toby, we're going to get you out of here!"

Coughing led Hiro to the bed. He crouched and peered under it to see a boy who was about eight years old huddled against the wall. He was curled up in a ball, so all Hiro could see was blond hair and jeans.

"Hey, Toby, can you hear me?" Hiro asked, keeping his voice calm and low.

Toby moved his head so Hiro could see his face. It was smokey and smudged with tears and snot. His eyes were red. He nodded slowly and coughed.

"Okay, Toby, I need you to crawl over to me, okay?"

Toby shook his head. Hiro groaned and glanced back. Flames were licking the doorway.

"H, what is going on?" Go Go asked.

"I found Toby, but he's not budging," Hiro said in exasperation.

"Pull him out, then," Go Go said.

"No, don't do that!" Honey Lemon jumped in. "He's scared and grabbing him will just make it worse. Let me talk to him."

"Okay?" Hiro stretched his arm under the bed.

"Hey, Toby," Honey Lemon said in a gentle voice. "I know this is scary, but H is there to help you. All you have to do is crawl toward him, okay? Can you do that?"

Toby whimpered and shuffled.

"I think he's coming," Hiro murmured.

"That's it!" Honey Lemon said cheerily. "Just a little bit further, and H can take you to your mom, alright?"

At the mention of seeing his mom, Toby pushed away from the wall. He army-crawled closer to Hiro, and didn't fight when the boy grabbed the back of his T-shirt and pulled him into the open. Toby's eyes widened when he saw the flames in the doorway.

"No, we can't!" Toby protested. "We're supposed to hide under the bed until it's safe!"

"I think you're thinking of earthquakes, Toby," Hiro said, standing the boy on his feet.

"Right, fires are…" Toby dropped to his hands and knees. "Stay close to the ground!"

"Smart kid," Hiro said, smiling a bit. Something in the house groaned, reminding him of their situation. "Can you make it to the stairs?"

Seeming more confident now, Toby nodded. Hiro jerked the checkered blanket from the bed and draped it over Toby, then knelt beside him.

"Okay, Toby, stay close."

Hiro and Toby crawled to the doorway. Hiro looked at the flames, then grabbed Toby and wrapped the blanket around him. He threw the two of them through the doorway, then dropped Toby in the hall.

Seeing flames had caught on the corners of the blanket, Hiro jerked it off the boy. He chucked it back into Toby's room, then took a deep breath and unlocked his helmet.

"Switching to wrist comm," Hiro told his team. "W, make a note that we need to bring spare rebreathers when we handle fires."

He put the helmet on Toby's head. There was a store of two hours' worth of oxygen in the helmet alone, more than enough to get outside.

"Once we get to the stairs, we're safe!" Hiro called over the roar of the flames.

Toby whimpered, but nodded bravely. The boys crawled quickly down the hall.

"Come on, little dude, you're almost here!" Fred called, one eye of his suit visible through the gap under the beam. "Just ten more feet!"

They were so close, and that's when it happened.

The groaning of the ceiling took on a deeper pitch. Hiro stopped and looked quickly up in time to see the roof finally splinter!

"Grab him!" Hiro shouted, lunging and shoving Toby through the gap.

Toby was jerked through to the other side. Hiro started to follow, then had to scramble backward when another beam collapsed.

"H?!" Wasabi shouted.

"I'm okay!" Hiro called back. He eyed the now blocked hall. There was a gap above the beams, but- "I can't get out here! There's a window in Toby's room, I'm headed that way! Just get out!"

"Hurry!" Wasabi called, then scooped up Toby. He swapped his rebreather for Hiro's helmet, then ran for the door.

"Catch!" Fred called, throwing Hiro's helmet through the gap.

Hiro snatched up his helmet when it hit the ground and put it on. He bounced to his feet without bothering to lock the helmet into place, switched back to helmet comms, then turned and ran down the hall.

Halfway to Toby's room, the floor crumbled from under him. His feet fell straight through. His upper half struck the burnt floor, knocking the wind out of him and his helmet flew off on impact. Hiro blindly scrabbled for something to grab, but his gloves only slid across the wood. He fell fully through the floor, hitting the ground floor with a cry of pain.

He tried to stand, but a half-burned beam fell across his back and knocked him flat. Hiro groaned and pushed against the beam, only to collapse in a fit of coughing from the heavy smoke in the air. His body went limp a moment later. He shook with a ragged cough, then his eyes closed and he fell silent.

For a second, the only sound in the room was the crackle of flames and creak of the house.

"H!" Go Go's staticky voice came faintly from Hiro's helmet. The boy didn't respond. "H, wha..ned? Are...ay?!"

"He's no...!" Honey Lemon cried.

"...ing in!" Fred yelled.

With another groan, the front door collapsed. The house tilted to the side.

"Find a-" Wasabi yelled, then the comms cut completely out.

In the living room of the house, Hiro still didn't move. Someone shouted his name. Not over the comms, but like they were in the next room. Hiro's eyes opened slightly.

A figure ran in from the next room. Their blue-gray suit was nearly invisible in the smoke. The person looked quickly around before spotting the trapped Hiro and rushing over.

"Hiro! Hiro, look at me!" the person demanded, lightly slapping Hiro's cheek. They had a robotic sounding voice.

"Who…?" Hiro murmured, eyelids fluttering shut.

"Oh, no. Stay with me, buddy!" The person pushed against the beam trapping Hiro. "Just hang on, I'll get you out of here!"

Hiro, now fully unconscious, didn't respond. The person groaned as the beam refused to budge. They crouched and wrapped their hands around Hiro's armpits. They braced themselves to pull, then stopped and looked up when the ceiling gave a final creak.

The person threw themselves down, covering Hiro with their body. Then the whole house finally collapsed.

* * *

**A/N: If the team has public alias' used in the cartoon, I would love to know them...**

**Guest review response!**

**Random Fan: I'll keep an eye out! ;) Good, it was liked! The manga is actually two books. Someone turned the movie into a book, but with some different elements, like Hiro hanging onto Tadashi's hat. (Okay, I think that was really just one scene, but it was epic.) Yep, it's actually Abigail. I just had to... **


	5. Need a Hiro

**A/N: I think every scene in this chapter was tweaked a dozen times, and I still feel like they could be better. I was having a hard time figuring out the final lines for scene changes.**

**The chapter title is a play on words of the lyrics to the song Hero by Skillet.**

**The names used by the public for the team is a mixture of my own and nicknames that I found on the BH6 wiki.**

**Hiro is Captain Hero (Honey Lemon slipped once and said his name, but it was luckily misheard as "Hero." He's usually referred to as "Captain.")**

**Wasabi is Slicer (He's greatly annoyed by this name and thinks it's too wild for him.)**

**Go Go is Gigi (Another mishearing, since the team calls her GG on missions.)**

**Fred is Lizard or Lizard-Boy**

**Honey Lemon's, I'm still working on.**

* * *

Go Go heard the finalizing groan of the house and threw herself backward. She tumbled over a low fence into the backyard behind the house, just in time for the house to give way and collapse inward.

Go Go was on her wheels in an instant. Hurdling the fence, she raced down the alley between the burning rubble and the now burning neighbor's house -which, thankfully, was already empty- to the front yard. She came to a rolling halt, heart leaping to her throat.

Toby was reunited with his family. It should have made her happy, but she barely spared the family a glance before looking at her team.

Honey Lemon stood on the sidewalk with the just-arrived firefighters, mouth gaping as she stared behind her. Baymax was beside her, facing the same direction. Wasabi and Fred stood a dozen feet from the rubble, unmoving. Hiro was still missing.

"Did H get out?!" Go Go demanded, racing up to the boys.

"No," Wasabi breathed.

Go Go tensed like she was going to skate into the rubble, then groaned and spun around.

"Hey!" Go Go yelled at the firefighters. "Our friend is inside!"

The firefighters didn't waste any time being shocked. They were already suited up, and half of them were dragging a large fire hose from where they had clamped it onto a nearby fire hydrant.

"I'm going to need you four to stand back," the fire chief said in a no-nonsense voice.

"What, no!" Fred exclaimed. "I can't just stand here and-"

"We have to." Wasabi put a hand on Fred's shoulder. "We'll only slow them down."

Under the mask, Fred frowned. He started to follow Wasabi toward Honey Lemon, but then the house shifted. Glass shattered and wood snapped, and Fred jumped like he'd been electrocuted. Wasabi barely grabbed him before the boy could run off.

"We have to help!" Fred yelled desperately.

Wasabi tried to form a protest, but couldn't find the words. A grizzled firefighter paused nearby.

"Lizard, how heat-resistant is that suit?" he asked, using the public nickname for Fred.

"Enough to stand in a burning house!" Fred said, scowling at the rubble.

"If you want to help your friend, get close and find us the quickest way into the house," the firefighter said, looking to the chief for a nod.

"When you find it, tell us, but _don't_ go inside," the chief said.

Eager for some way to help, Fred nodded.

"Alright. Collins, keep an eye on him," the chief ordered.

Wasabi released Fred, and he took off after the firefighters. The three remaining members were distracted by Baymax waddling forward.

"No, no, I told you, Baymax!" Honey Lemon said, moving in front of the robot. "You'll melt if you get too close!"

"I heard a sound of distress," Baymax said in his monotone.

Honey Lemon gave the others an anxious frown. "He's been saying that since we lost contact with Hiro."

"Where's it coming from, Baymax?" Wasabi asked quickly. "Where do you hear it?"

Baymax stood still, letting his audio receptors sort through the crackle of flames, the shouting of the firefighters, and the house's creaking. The three teens held their breaths.

Eventually, Baymax said, "The sounds have stopped."

Honey Lemon whimpered, turning tearing eyes to the blaze. Go Go made a choked sound and spun to face the house. Wasabi stiffened.

"There's just too much sound," Wasabi said slowly. "He's still in there."

"That's the problem!" Go Go snapped, racing off.

"He's gonna be okay," Wasabi whispered, staring in a daze.

"U-use your scanner, Baymax," Honey Lemon requested. "That will help."

A humming sound came from Baymax, then a disheartening chirp. "I detect no life forms in the rubble. But, the heat may be distorting my sensors."

"I-it's okay, Baymax." Honey Lemon patted the robot's armor. "Fred will find him."

* * *

An hour later, the flames had been put out and the firefighters had begun digging. Fred continued to help, while his teammates were forced to stay away from the damage.

Honey Lemon kept busy with Baymax checking over anyone who had been in or near the fire, but as the last one was taken away in an ambulance, she didn't have anything to do. Go Go continuously skated around the destruction. Wasabi was silently voted spokesperson and evaded questions when the reporters inevitably showed up.

No one mentioned Hiro, especially once the reporters showed up, though Baymax periodically scanned the collapsed structure. No confirming chime came from the robot.

* * *

Armed with a flashlight and walkie-talkie on his waist, Fred hauled himself onto a section of semi-intact roof. His smaller size and light suit allowed him greater mobility on the unstable rubble. He walked carefully across the roof, testing each step and listening before putting his full weight down.

Eventually, Fred reached the end of the section. It dropped off, so he laid on his stomach and lifted his hood to look below. He was rewarded by a hole from a mostly unburned beam jabbing out of the rubble.

"I see a hole!" Fred said into the radio. "I'm going in!"

Amid warnings to be careful, Fred squirmed his way into the hole. Fred turned on the flashlight -his body blocked the already dimming evening light- and flicked the beam around the hole.

He was surrounded by splintered and burned wood, the majority of which was being held up by the beam holding up the roof section.

Fred very carefully slid under the beam, hearing glass crinkle under his suit. The wood under him groaned and shifted, but held his weight as he dropped into a larger area. He rose to a cautious crouch.

With a start, Fred realized that the wall to his right was still intact! The floor under him was burned, but relatively free of debris and solid. When the roof had collapsed, it must have snuffed out the flames in that area of the building. Picture frames laid on the floor, glass shattered and pictures reduced to ash.

"I think I'm in the hall where we last saw H," Fred said into the radio.

Outside, Go Go snatched Collins' radio. "Do you see him anywhere?"

Fred turned in a circle. The space was only a few feet wide, and barely high enough for his crouch. Besides the solid wall, the other three directions were blocked by rubble. One side, the one leading toward the back of the house, had a small gap in the rubble.

Fred knelt and shined the flashlight inside. He saw charred black lumps in the space, but that was it. He reached in and felt with his claws around the space, only finding compact rubble.

A groan reverberated through the house. Collins took back his radio and spoke.

"You need to get out of there."

"But-"

"_Now_."

Sighing, Fred returned the radio to his waist. He waved his hand around the small space, knocking into a larger object. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it out, figuring he could give it back to the family.

Without looking at the object, Fred carefully retraced his steps. As he crawled under the beam, it gave a loud groan. Ash sprinkled down on Fred, and he hurried his pace as chunks of wood thumped down. He scrambled onto the roof, feeling the rubble under him shift.

"Super jump!" Fred yelled, doing just that as the beam finally snapped, sending the rubble crashing down in a plume of ash. Fred landed near his teammates, bouncing a little to slow his momentum.

"That was reckless!" Go Go immediately scolded, shoving Fred.

"But I know where to search now!" Fred said, grinning. "I found the hall, all we have to do is dig."

"H's suit might have protected him from the heat, but it got pretty hot in there," Wasabi said slowly.

"The fire extinguished itself when the house fell," Honey Lemon said optimistically. She watched as the firefighters started climbing to where Fred had found a route. "As long as Hiro was in a space protected from the debris, we can still find him. And as long as he has his helmet, he has two hours of air."

There were a lot of _ifs_ in that whole plan, but everyone decided to ignore those just then.

"I'm going to go help-" Fred started, lifting the hand still holding the sooty object to point.

Everybody froze.

Clutched in Fred's claws was Hiro's helmet. The visor was shattered, and a giant crack ran down the middle.

"If that's… He…" Go Go couldn't finish.

Baymax turned to the building and scanned without prompting. Again, the negative tone beeped.

"My sensors are working, but I do not pick up any life forms in the building," Baymax said.

"No... Hiro!" Go Go yelled.

She raced off to circle the building, as if Hiro could be hidden in the shadows of the alley. The others were too numb to move. No one wanted to say it, but no one could have survived so long without air and exposed to the heat.

* * *

Half an hour later, a silent group of five entered the SFIT building. No one was around, which was just as well. None of the teens had bothered with stealth, and Baymax never did.

The group listlessly discarded their suits in their private labs and gathered outside Hiro's lab. Go Go reached for the doorknob, then paused and shook her head.

Honey Lemon picked up Hiro's backpack, which sat beside the door. She hugged it to her chest and inhaled.

"What do we do now?" Fred asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the team when the fire chief sent them home. "How-how are we going to explain this to the school? To the city?"

Honey Lemon hugged the backpack tighter. As she did, she noticed buzzing in the side pocket. Numb, she reached into the pocket and pulled out Hiro's phone. The screen lit up with notifications for three missed texts. She gasped and put her free hand to her mouth.

"Guys…" she held the phone out in front of her. "How will we tell his Aunt Cass?"

* * *

It was fully dark when the remains of the team arrived at the Lucky Cat Cafe. Wasabi hesitated at the door, then took a breath and led the way inside.

The cafe was empty so late in the day. Aunt Cass had already cleaned the tables, and sat at one with a cup of coffee and a plate of donuts in front of her. She was intently watching the TV up in the corner that, to the team's dismay, was showing footage from the house fire.

Aunt Cass didn't notice the team, though Mochi perked up and meowed.

"Kids!" Aunt Cass said, spotting Baymax and the teens. "Oh, thank goodness! There was a fire near the college earlier today, did you hear? I hope you didn't go near it."

"Um…" Wasabi cleared his throat. "Miss Hamada?"

"How many times must I tell you, it's 'Cass!' 'Aunt Cass,' if you're feeling formal," Aunt Cass said easily.

The motherly woman greeted the team with hugs. Go Go usually ducked away from them, but she couldn't bring herself to this time. Aunt Cass frowned as she stepped back from Go Go.

"Where's Hiro? When he didn't come right home, I assumed he was with you," Aunt Cass said.

Wasabi stepped forward. "Miss… Aunt Cass, something happened with Hiro."

Aunt Cass stared at Wasabi, expectant.

"Has Hiro… told you what he does after school sometimes?" Wasabi asked.

Aunt Cass blinked, then fondly shook her head. "Don't tell me that Hiro's taken up bot fighting again, did he? And he needs to be bailed out, huh?"

Honey Lemon couldn't stop her whimper. Aunt Cass looked at her, noticing the tear streaks on her face for the first time. She looked back to Wasabi, who had charred wood tangled in his hair. To Go Go, whose frame shook and had her hands behind her back. Finally, to Fred's stoic expression.

In the silence, the reporter on the TV could be heard saying, "Firefighters and the members of Big Hero 6 have denied comment, but there is a noticeable absence in the Big Hero 6 presence. Where is Captain, heroic leader of the mysterious group of heroes? All signs this reporter sees seem to point to inside the building remains."

Footage of Wasabi speaking to the reporter came next. "We are performing a very delicate rescue, please just stand back."

Aunt Cass' eyes flicked from the TV and back to Wasabi. Her eyes widened as they ran over the group. Almost imperceptibly, her head shook.

"Wh-what were you saying about Hiro?" Aunt Cass asked shakily.

"Cass." Go Go brought her hands forward, revealing Hiro's ruined helmet. "Hiro is… was Captain. He led Big Hero 6 and he… we lost him in the fire."

Aunt Cass shook her head, more forcefully this time. "No, no, it couldn't be. Don't tell him I told you, but you see, Hiro… Hiro's afraid of fire. H-he couldn't…" She trailed off and sat heavily.

"There was a kid trapped inside," Go Go said.

Aunt Cass reached out. Go Go handed her the helmet. Aunt Cass studied the crack almost splitting it in half and ran a hand across it, scraping off ash and chips of paint.

"Not again," Aunt Cass murmured.

Tears were streaming down Honey Lemon's cheeks as she stepped forward. She laid a gentle hand on Aunt Cass' shoulder. Setting the helmet aside, Aunt Cass stood abruptly.

"I-I'm sorry. You all should go, I…" Aunt Cass' expression turned distant. She blinked. "I need to…"

Aunt Cass picked up her mug, but it slipped from her fingers. Only Go Go's quick reflexes saved it from shattering on the floor.

"Oh. Oh, dear," Aunt Cass murmured, walking quickly toward the back of the cafe.

The teens and Baymax hurried after her. Aunt Cass was walking like she was in a daze and insisted that the kids could leave, and none of the teens knew how to respond.

"Hiro will be home soon," Aunt Cass said, waving a hand at Honey Lemon when she tried to follow her.

"Didn't she hear what we said?" Go Go hissed under her breath, scowling against her own tears gathering.

Baymax waddled past the teens. "Denial is often the first stage of grief."

Much to the relief of the teens, Baymax took over. Taking Aunt Cass' arm, he guided her to the couch. She sat down, still in a daze. The teens stood uncertainly nearby.

Mochi broke the silence. With a sad meow, he leaped onto Aunt Cass' lap. She started, then wrapped her arms around the cat. A tear slowly tracked down her cheek. She lifted her gaze to Honey Lemon's, and said three words.

"Just like Tadashi."

Honey Lemon couldn't hold back anymore. She dropped her face into her hands, shoulders shaking in sudden sobs. Aunt Cass reached up pulled her closer, so the girl collapsed onto the couch beside her. They grabbed each other in a fierce hug, both crying freely now.

It wasn't long before the others joined, even Go Go letting a few tears flow. The group clung to each other and cried until they were too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep, still holding tightly to one another.

* * *

**A/N: I promise things will get better in the next chapter...**

**Random Fan: This is incredibly unhelpful of me, but... -cackles-**


	6. Why Trackers Would be a Good Idea

**A/N: I needed names for the firefighters (who I didn't plan into the original plot, but will hopefully reappear later...) so Gravtron1 helped me name them.**

**Most of this chapter was spontaneous and Fred, the most spontaneous of the team, wasn't cooperating with me.**

* * *

"See anything, Breckett?" Collins asked his partner.

"Not much," the younger firefighter called up. He slammed his heel on the wood. "This floor is still solid."

The two firemen were digging through the rubble that was once a house with three other two-person teams. Breckett was deepest in the rubble, since he was the youngest and smallest on the force.

"This is where Lizard directed us," Collins said. He called to another nearby team, "Donne, Duris, help us clear this up."

Collins climbed down beside Breckett and helped him clear the collapsed walls and shingles in the burnt hall, passing them up to Donne and Duris to move elsewhere. Before long, the four firefighters had dug out a space five feet long. There, they paused.

"What's that?" asked Duris, the only woman on the force, but also the keenest eyed.

Breckett crouched and cleared away some of the debris still piled against the collapsed wall. "It's a hole. Floor gave out here."

"Do you think Captain fell through there?" Donne asked.

"Only one way to find out." Collins moved to the middle of the cleared area and hefted his axe. "Stand clear, Breckett."

Breckett moved back to give Collins room. In a few short swings, Collins had gouged a hole in the fire-weakened floor. Setting the axe aside, he and Breckett then started working at the floor with their hands until they had a human-sized hole broken out.

Breckett poked his head through the hole and shined a flashlight around. Their route had taken them straight to the ground floor, which had held up surprisingly well considering the damage higher up. The collapsing house had indeed snuffed out the flames below, leaving sections of the house fairly intact.

"Looks stable," Breckett reported. "Should I check it out?"

Collins lowered himself beside Breckett to see for himself. "Not until we get the upper sections cleared. Wouldn't want the roof falling on your head."

"Might knock some sense into him," Donne snickered.

Collins gave him a withering look, though it was lost on Donne due to his mask. Breckett ignored the other man, peering around with his flashlight.

"There's a hole in the floor, alright," Breckett said. "Something fell there."

Breckett moved his light to where whatever had fallen through the floor would have landed. He saw a burnt table, a couple of smoky chairs, and a support beam that had fallen against the wall and was being precariously held up by the sheetrock.

"Nothing there now." Breckett squirmed backward and knelt. "If there ever was anything to begin with."

"Okay, then. Focus on the hall," said Chief Berg, having come in time to hear Breckett.

The teams renewed their efforts on the second story remains, working hard through the night to get the hall area, most of the rooms, and half of the first story cleared.

At dawn, the confused crew gathered outside the rubble. They confirmed amongst each other their findings: some furniture, a few toys under the couch in the living room, and a photo album that had miraculously survived. The usual unexpected finds within the rubble.

However, the one thing that they _should_ found by then was noticeably absent. There was no body.

* * *

It was quickly decided that the team was not leaving Aunt Cass alone.

Aunt Cass was still distant when they had woken up that morning. Wasabi had been quick to hide any sharp objects before the distracted woman hurt herself, but Aunt Cass still insisted on working on something. They did manage to convince Aunt Cass to close the cafe for one day, at least, though she went through the motions of opening.

"Don't you kids have to get to school?" Aunt Cass asked, halfway through setting up the chairs in the cafe.

"It's... it's Saturday," Honey Lemon said, frowning.

"Oh, yes, of course," Aunt Cass said, moving on to the next table.

Honey Lemon looked at her teammates. "I think I should stay here with Aunt Cass."

Her friends quickly agreed. The plan was for Wasabi to drive them to their respective homes to get some spare clothes, but it was quickly modified to leave Honey Lemon to keep Aunt Cass company with Baymax, Mini-Max, and Mochi.

Halfway to Fred's house, the three teens heard a buzz of static from Go Go's backpack, which sat between her legs. Go Go quickly leaned down and turned off the police scanner before they could hear what was being said.

"Maybe we should make sure we can't help first," Wasabi said distractedly.

"The police have done fine without us until now," Go Go said.

Fred looked at Go Go, who was sitting behind him. "You don't mean to say that this is the end of Big Hero 6?"

"How can we be six, when Hiro is dead?" Go Go demanded.

Without an answer, Fred turned around and slumped against his seat.

Not long after, Wasabi's minivan pulled in front of the Fredrickson mansion.

"Do you want me to wait?" Wasabi asked as Fred dragged himself out.

"No, go and get your stuff. I'll wait for you," Fred said.

Wasabi nodded and drove off.

Heathcliff greeted Fred at the door. He didn't ask where Fred had been, only held up his fist. Fred fist-bumped him half-heartedly and wandered to his room. He shoved clothes into a backpack, then meandered back to the front door. Heathcliff was still there, as usual, and still didn't say a word as Fred stepped outside.

Fred looked down the street, but it would be a bit before Wasabi returned. He moved to sit on the steps when-

"Fred!"

Fred spun around with a startled yelp, arms coming up in a vaguely martial arts stance. He tried to hide his surprise with a scowl.

A person was standing behind him. If he knew them, Fred couldn't tell past the black-visored helmet covering their head and the robotic buzz of their voice. They wore full-body armor similar in style to Go Go's, but it was colored a deep blue that faded into random patches of grey. Their arms were crossed.

"Where are the others?" the stranger asked.

"Others?" Fred repeated brilliantly.

"Wasabi, Go Go, and Honey Lemon," the stranger said. "Where are they?"

"Sounds like a grocery list," Fred said, grinning.

The stranger stared at Fred, who tried to subtly look down the street. Emergency evac would be great right then.

"Look, we've been waiting all night for Big Hero 6 to show up," the stranger said, somehow sounding like an exasperated robot.

Fred stiffened. How did this stranger know the identity of the team? They had taken every precaution -nicknames, super-secret hideouts like Fred's house, hiding to get out of uniform- to ensure that no one could find out!

"So… what are you doing here?" Fred faked an excited grin. "Do you think they're around here?"

Again, the silent stare. Fred shifted, smile fading as the silence stretched on.

"I know that you're Lizard," the stranger said flatly. "And that Hiro is Captain, Wasabi is Slicer-"

"Okay, okay, you got us." Fred narrowed his eyes. "But Big Hero 6 is… inactive right now."

The stranger's head cocked. "Why?"

"Don't you watch the news?" Fred asked. "Cap- Hiro went into the fire, and he didn't come back out."

"Yes, I know about that," the stranger said. "So?"

"_So_, I think you could at least give us a day! Whatever your deal is, the police can handle it."

"A day? We've been waiting all night."

Fred was about to retort, then stopped. "You know, I suddenly feel like we aren't on the same page. Hi, my name is Fred and this is _mi casa._ And you're trespassing."

"Fine, I'll go. Just tell the team to hurry up, would you?"

Fred threw his hands in the air. "I still have no idea what you're talking about! Hurry up _where?!_"

The stranger yelled back in the same measure of exasperation, "To get Hiro!"

Fred dropped his hands and gritted out, "I think we're done here. We did everything we could to save him, don't mock us."

The stranger stilled. "That explains things," they murmured. Louder, they said, "Don't you have trackers in your suits?"

"Uh, no, that is an utterly ridiculous question and I said that we are done." Fred spun on his heel toward the house. "Heathcliffe, release the dogs!"

Fred crossed his arms and grinned as the loud sound of barking came from behind the house. The stranger matched his posture and didn't leave.

"Uh… unless you _want_ to be horribly mauled, I'd start running," Fred said.

"Fred, I know you don't have any guard dogs," the stranger said.

Fred blinked and turned. A moment later, Heathcliffe stepped into view. He held a radio, from which the savage barking was coming. Fred swiveled back to the stranger.

"Who are you?"

"That's unimportant right now. Look, I came to see what was taking the team so long to arrive. I think there has been a misunderstanding."

Fred silently cocked an eyebrow. Since the stranger obviously wasn't leaving, he decided to just see what they had to say.

Turns out, the stranger had two words to say. Two words that changed everything.

"Hiro's alive."

* * *

**A/N: You guys didn't really think I'd kill off Hiro, did you? -grins- I just like to make it look like that.**

**Guest review response!**

**Random Fan: The way I see it, you are either laughing through the pain or laughing because you know that I couldn't go and kill Hiro and found my attempt adorable. XD Good to know they stayed in character! I was worried, because I wasn't sure how to deal with the initial response. I was thinking Chem-Girl, but I'm still at the drawing board for Honey Lemon.**


	7. Finding Hiro

**A/N: Would've posted this sooner, but Fred refused to cooperate.**

* * *

"That's impossible!" Fred said. "We saw him go into the building, but he never came out."

The stranger looked behind them. "Look, I don't have time to explain right now. I've been gone for too long already. Just get the team to Akuma Island, got it?"

The stranger turned and ran down the steps before Fred could sputter out a full question. They ducked behind the hedge in front of the building.

Fred shook himself and ran after the stranger. He skidded to a halt at the sidewalk, staring down the empty street.

Brakes squeaked behind Fred, then he heard Wasabi ask, "What are you looking at?"

Fred spun around. "Did you see anyone run down the street just now?"

"Just you," Go Go said, sticking her head out the window to give Fred an irritated look. "Quit messing around and get in."

"There was somebody there," Fred said as he retrieved his backpack from Heathcliffe. "He said that Hiro is alive."

Go Go audibly gritted her teeth. "It's somebody's sick idea of a joke."

Wasabi was a bit more logical. "No one outside the team knows about Hiro being Captain."

"I know what I heard," Fred said simply as he climbed into the minivan.

"Nobody could have survived that fire," Wasabi said, driving down the street. "And if they had, Fire Chief Berg would have called us by now."

Fred snaked his hand into Wasabi's backpack, snagging the throw-away phone that the team used for calling officials. While Wasabi protested and tried to figure out how to grab the phone without taking both hands off the wheel, Fred opened the phone and checked the texts.

"The chief says that they haven't found a body," Fred said.

"That doesn't mean anything in fires, Fred," Wasabi said.

"There's no trace of Hiro," Fred said, reading on. "Based on where we last saw Hiro, the chief thinks that he may have fallen into an area that didn't get as burned. But they still haven't found anything."

"Fred," Go Go said in a warning tone.

"What do we have to lose?" Fred asked. "There's no reason for a complete stranger to lie about Hiro being alive. If nothing else, aren't you a little bit curious on how they know who we are in the first place?"

Wasabi and Go Go didn't respond. Fred slumped in his seat, thinking that was the end of it. Then, Go Go spoke up.

"If this is a trap, I'm blaming you."

Fred grinned. "Deal."

"Remember, don't tell Aunt Cass," Wasabi said. "We don't want to get her hopes up."

"Not a word," Fred promised.

* * *

Aunt Cass found out.

Go Go didn't have her far enough out of earshot, and Fred's volume control left something to be desired. It didn't help that Baymax had absolutely no volume control as he confirmed that Hiro _could_ still be alive.

Aunt Cass made them all promise to be careful and call her as soon as they found something out, then insisted that the whole team go.

"If it really is a trap, you'll need all the help you can get," Aunt Cass said as she pushed them out the door.

Maybe it was because she had so much else on her mind, but she was taking the fact that the teens were a team of superheroes surprisingly well.

"We'll be quick," Honey Lemon promised.

"I have Mochi and Max to keep me company," Aunt Cass assured them. She frowned. "Just… be careful."

"We will," Go Go said.

* * *

The team quickly got their gear at the university and climbed onto Baymax for the aerial trip. Baymax flew them swiftly to the island, then hovered a safe distance above the ground while the team checked for signs of a trap.

"See anything?" Honey Lemon asked.

"Nothing." Go Go squinted. "Take us down, Baymax."

Baymax flew gently down, dropping Fred and Wasabi before landing so Honey Lemon and Go Go could climb off his back. The team stood back-to-back, quickly scanning the abandoned island.

Fred was the first one to call out. "Hello! We're here!"

Go Go whirled on him. "Shush!"

Fred raised his hands. "Hey, he obviously isn't coming out on his own."

Go Go groaned, but further argument was cut off by a robotic voice.

"Took you long enough."

The team spun to where the armored stranger was pushing through the foliage beside the lab. The leaves rustled and snapped loudly, causing the team to wonder how they hadn't noticed the stranger in the first place.

The stranger slid down a short slope and leaped down to the cement. They beckoned to the team.

"Come on. We've been waiting," they said.

"Who is 'we?'" Go Go asked, raising an arm to block Fred from following.

"Didn't Fred tell you? Hiro and I," the stranger said.

The only response from the team was a light gasp from Honey Lemon. The stranger watched them for a minute, then shrugged.

"You don't believe me," they said matter-of-factly. "I don't blame you. Follow me, and I'll show you."

The stranger turned and climbed back up the slope. The team hesitated, then Fred darted after them. The others, not wanting to leave Fred alone, hurried to follow.

The stranger led the team to a blank metal wall on a hillside overlooking the ocean. They pressed a hand to the wall, then a previously unnoticed panel slid open and to the side to reveal a number pad. The stranger typed in a rapid set of numbers, then part of the wall slid to the side.

The team stared in shock at the hall that was revealed. The stranger beckoned, then bounded into the hall.

"This still feels like a trap," Go Go murmured, though she was the first to step into the hall.

Lights from the helmets of Go Go, Honey Lemon, and the stranger illuminated a short hall. It led to a steep spiral stairwell made of metal. The stairwell was wide enough for two and had thick rails, but it creaked from old age.

"Is this thing safe?" Wasabi asked, rubbing a hand on a bit of rust.

"Probably not," the stranger responded.

Wasabi hesitated on the second step.

"Oh, come on. You'll be fine," the stranger said, still walking. "If it breaks, I'm sure Baymax will catch you."

Wasabi looked at Baymax standing behind him, then sighed and slowly made his way down the stairs.

While Go Go hung back to give Wasabi and Fred light, Honey Lemon hurried down the stairs and matched the stranger's rapid pace.

"How do you know about this place?" she asked.

The stranger shrugged. "I worked here, a few years back."

"Why is it so hidden? What's down here?"

"Not much. Just dorms for the scientists, a few labs, kitchen, that sort of thing. Some of the testier experiments were done down here as well, where an explosion could be contained underground."

Honey Lemon paused, then continued. "An explosion?"

"You've seen project Silent Sparrow, right? Did you see what happened when it failed?"

"Yes…"

"That teleporter was the fiftieth attempt." The stranger paused. "When we get below, don't go into the rooms that are blocked off. Some are just structurally damaged, but others contain gases from experiments. I don't want to know what happens to some of them after twenty years."

"And you choose to come down here?" Wasabi, still a few rounds above, said skeptically.

"It's quiet," the stranger called back, resuming their quick pace. "And there's only one way in, so I always know who comes and goes."

"How did you know our identities?" Honey Lemon asked, continuing as well.

"It was pretty obvious, really," the stranger said.

"How? Do we know you?"

The stranger didn't respond for a minute. When they spoke, it wasn't to answer Honey Lemon. "We're here."

The team looked ahead and realized that they had nearly reached the bottom of the stairwell. As they stepped onto the solid concrete, they glanced up at the spiral staircase. They were far, far underground now.

The stranger opened the single door in front of the steps. "Follow me."

The team stepped into a new hall, Baymax having to turn sideways due to the narrow doorway. This hall was lined with door and bore a hint at habitation. Dust-coated plaques hung beside most of the doors and a dusty, tattered carpet covered the floor.

"You didn't answer her," Go Go said, taking Honey Lemon's place behind the stranger.

"It isn't important," the stranger said.

"Who are you?" Go Go demanded, reaching out.

The stranger twitched their arm away before Go Go could grab it. "Call me whatever you want."

"What about Smoke?" Fred immediately called out.

Go Go and the stranger turned to Fred. Go Go was giving him an annoyed look, but the stranger's robotic tone held amusement when they spoke.

"And why is that?"

"First of all, the suit. Second, because you vanished like smoke at my house," Fred explained.

The newly-named Smoke nodded. "If it makes you happy."

They then turned and continued without another word. Go Go gave a half-growl and followed them, and the rest of the team followed more slowly.

One door hung open, and the team peered inside.

Four wooden bunk beds were in the room, two along the left and right walls. The mattresses were rodent-chewed and the hanging blankets were torn. Matching dressers were pressed against the far wall. There was a desk between the bunk beds, and a few chairs scattered haphazardly across the room. Spiders occupied the corners of the room.

Fred made ghostly noises, prompting Wasabi to elbow him.

"Keep up," Smoke called back without slowing.

Not wanting to be left behind, the four of them hurried to catch up with Go Go and Smoke.

The group passed a few more open doors. Most were dorms, though one led to a laboratory with dusky beakers and tubes. Five minutes later, Smoke turned and walked into one of the rooms.

Unlike the rest of the rooms, this one was clean. There wasn't a bit of dust, and old rugs on the floor and landscape pictures on the wall made it more homey. All but one of the bunks and dressers had been removed, and there was an overstuffed couch across from them. The desk in the middle of the room held random papers, tools, and a first-aid kit.

The team's eyes ran over the room before focusing on the lone occupant of the couch, instantly forgetting the rest of the room.

Hiro was laying on the couch in his jeans and T-shirt, armor missing. Gauze covered his left cheek and was wrapped around his arm and hand on the same side. He wore an oxygen mask over his mouth, and his breathing was slightly ragged. His eyes were closed.

"Hiro!" Honey Lemon cried, rushing to the younger teen with the rest of the team right behind.

Honey Lemon knelt beside the couch and carefully took Hiro's unbandaged hand. Hiro shifted and sighed, but otherwise didn't respond.

"What's wrong? Baymax, scan him," Wasabi said.

Baymax already had, though. "His throat is swollen, most likely from smoke damage. I also detect burns on his face and left arm, and swelling in his left ankle."

Smoke made an embarrassed sound. "I missed the ankle."

"How…?" Go Go looked from her unconscious leader to Smoke.

"I pulled him out as quickly as I could," Smoke said. "But his face and arm were burned. I gave him something for the pain, so he's mostly been sleeping."

"Why didn't you bring him to us?" Go Go asked.

Smoke shrugged. "It would draw too much attention. I brought him here and tended to his wounds. I thought you five would know where to find him."

"How?" Wasabi asked incredulously.

"He thinks we have scanner implanted in each of our suits," Fred supplied.

"That's a good idea," a raspy voice murmured.

"Hiro!" the team yelped, turning back to him.

Hiro looked half-asleep, blinking dazedly up at the team. He offered a lopsided grin.

"What happened?" Hiro asked.

"You tell us," Go Go said. "You ran into the burning building."

Hiro shrugged. "I passed out in the fire, and woke up here. We've been waiting for you."

"So Smoke likes to tell us," Go Go snorted.

Hiro's brows creased. "Smoke?"

"Yeah, that's the name of our mysterious new friend," Fred said, jutting a thumb over his shoulder.

Hiro peered past him. "Where?"

"Right-" Fred broke off.

The rest of the team turned to see what had startled Fred, only to see that Smoke was missing!

Go Go skated to the door and looked in both directions. There was no sign or sound of Hiro's mysterious rescuer.

"He's gone," Go Go said.

"I think it's time that we were gone as well," Wasabi said hurriedly.

No one argued. Smoke's silent disappearance had set them all back on edge. Wasabi pulled off the oxygen mask from Hiro's face and picked up the younger boy.

"I can walk," Hiro murmured, even as his eyes slipped shut.

"Not on that ankle," Wasabi told him.

Hiro grumbled and shifted, then laid still. Wasabi and Honey Lemon exchanged nervous looks, then Wasabi rushed from the room. Baymax followed closely to monitor Hiro, and Fred and Go Go were right behind.

Honey Lemon started to follow, then paused as she passed the desk. Neat diagrams of some sort of suit sat in a stack, and a couple notebooks with scribbled notes laid open.

"Honey Lemon!" Go Go called.

"Er, coming!"

Honey Lemon dug out her phone and snapped pictures of the papers, then ran to catch up. Go Go was watching over her shoulder when Honey Lemon rejoined them.

"What were you doing?" she asked.

"The papers on the desk caught my attention," Honey Lemon said sheepishly.

"Everybody, hold up!" Fred said, coming to an abrupt halt.

Wasabi froze mid-step. "Wh-what?"

Fred pushed past Wasabi and crouched. He lifted his hood and stared intently at the floor. A minute of silence passed before Go Go grew impatient.

"What is it?"

"Look at the tracks," Fred said, pointing with a claw.

The team peered over his shoulder, but all they saw was the dusty floor and their footprints.

"I don't see anything," Honey Lemon said tentatively.

"Exactly!" Fred swiveled to face the team. "The room that we found Hiro in is obviously occupied, so Smoke must come and go a lot, right?"

"Your point?" Go Go said, squinting as she tried to follow.

"Where's all his tracks?" Fred questioned.

The team did a double-take of the floor. If Smoke really lived in the underground lab, then there would be a lot of disturbance in the dust on the floor. But there were only a half dozen sets of footprints at most, and they were the team's own.

"Ma-aybe he just has another door?" Wasabi said.

"He said there's only one way in and out," Honey Lemon said.

"But where are all his footprints?" Go Go asked.

The question hung unanswered in the air. The team involuntarily shuddered, and Wasabi glanced behind them.

"I told you," Fred whispered. "Vanished like smoke. Maybe we should have called him 'Phantom.''

Go Go punched his shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous. There's no such thing as ghosts."

"I didn't say it, you did."

Go Go glared. "There isn't. Baymax, what did Smoke's vitals look like?"

"I could not scan him."

The team spun to face the robot.

Wasabi laughed, though it sounded forced. "What? Did you forget or something?"

Baymax's head shook. "No. I did try to scan Smoke, but my scanners did not find anything. I believe his suit was interfering."

"R-right, that was t-totally it," Wasabi stammered.

"You were saying?" Fred smugly asked Go Go.

Go Go shoved her way to the front to skate quickly down the hall. The rest of the team followed at a run, eager to get out of the suddenly spooky lab.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, looks like there's more to Smoke than meets the eye... **

**Guest review responses!**

**Random Fan: Never fear, I have buckets of water standing by for any fainting fits. XD The dog thing was spontaneous, but still felt like a Fred thing, so... glad you liked it!**

**Random Fan's Sis: Ah... Right? I might have to call her Chemi… I like that one. **


	8. Notes

**A/N: Sorry, everyone, didn't mean to ditch you there! I just got distracted with some other stuff. BUT, I think I'm back into the swing of this story. Complete explanation is on my profile.**

**Also! One of the things I was distracted with was a new site called Pat reon. It allows my readers -you guys- to help me support my hobby with donations. I even have a few bonus' for people who support me, in the form of artwork and special one-shots and/or early access to new stories!**

**Response to Random Fan: I can't? Oh, well, there goes that idea... XD Kidding! I can't kill off my smol bean.**

* * *

Baymax held Hiro securely in his arms and Honey Lemon and Go Go on his back during the flight back to the university , leaving Wasabi and Fred to hang onto his legs for dear life. Luckily, the flight went without incident, and the four suited members were dropped off.

"We'll meet you at the cafe soon," Honey Lemon said, the risk of Baymax landing with the whole team in tow too much of a risk.

Baymax nodded and took off again. The team hurried into the SFIT open lab.

Jackson, seated at his and Abigail's station, glanced up. His eyes ran over the team before he sighed and returned to his work. Brody, staring at his ATS', waved distractedly while the team headed for their labs.

Once they were in casual clothes, the team automatically relaxed. They tucked their suits in their secret compartments, and gathered in the hall.

"Just a moment," Honey Lemon said before the others could leave. "I just need to grab Hiro's backpack. I left it in his lab."

"Watch out for the tiny watchdog," Wasabi warned.

Honey Lemon opened the door a slit and said, "Hey, Bax. It's just Honey Lemon."

A chirp came from inside. "Recognized."

Honey Lemon opened the door fully and grabbed Hiro's backpack from the table. Wasabi glanced over her shoulder, then blinked. He stepped into the room.

"What are you doing there, Bax?"

Bax wasn't on the shelf Hiro had left him the previous day. The tiny bot was instead standing on top of the 3-D printer, too high for him to get there without help.

"Has someone been in here, Bax?" Honey Lemon asked, eyes running over the chaos for some clue.

Bax chirped. "I have a message."

The team stiffened.

"What is it?" Fred asked with all the seriousness of someone hearing a warning.

"Aunt Cass wants you to come straight to the cafe," Bax relayed.

The teens let out a collective sigh and grinned sheepishly.

"Thanks, Bax," Honey Lemon said. "Let Aunt Cass know that we're on the way."

"I also have a note," Bax said, halting the team in their tracks once again.

Bax waddled to the side and picked up a piece of paper in his chubby hands. He held it up to the teens expectantly.

"Who could have left a note?" Wasabi asked as Honey Lemon went to Bax. "And how could they leave it? Bax won't let anyone besides us in here."

Honey Lemon took the note and read, "'Make sure you put trackers on your suits before you lose anyone else.' It's signed, 'Smoke!'"

"That's impossible," Go Go said. "We just saw him back on the island. How could he have gotten here so fast?"

"And how did he get past the tiny guard dog?"

Go Go gave Wasabi a look. "What do you have against Bax?"

"I bet he teleported!" Fred yelped.

"Fred, the last time someone tried to teleport, the portals were the size of a small house and, oh, yeah, they blew up," Wasabi said.

"So he fixed it."

"Callaghan is the only person with the design and he's in prison, remember?"

"Smoke's hideout is in Callaghan's old lair. I bet he found his notes."

Go Go shoved herself between the boys. "Nobody teleported, Fred. Whoever this Smoke is, just got here ahead of us and hacked Bax into letting him in, okay?"

"Hey, just theorizing over here."

Honey Lemon, meanwhile, checked the oversized cabinet under the 3-D printer. She gasped when she saw Hiro's armor inside, right where he always kept it. It was a little dinged, but cleaned of smoke and debris.

"Okay, Smoke is creeping me out now," Fred offered.

"Because he brought Hiro's armor back?" Go Go asked.

"Because didn't Hiro say that he had a secondary line of protection in Bax to protect that specific cabinet?" Fred said. "How could anyone besides us know about that?"

"Hiro would have told him," Honey Lemon said sensibly. "And how to get Bax to let him in as well. There's probably a code word for Bax to let someone new inside."

No one could argue with Honey Lemon's logic there. Fred moodily dropped the subject. Before the team left, Wasabi poked his head into open lab.

"Hey, Jackson. Did you, uh, see anyone come in before us?"

Jackson waggled a pencil toward Brody. "Just him."

Wasabi looked at Brody in time for something in the ATS to spark and explode. Brody coughed and leaned back, waving away the smoke.

"Uh, okay, thanks," Wasabi said, then hurried to join the others.

* * *

Aunt Cass was in full "mom mode," as Hiro liked to call it, when the teens arrived. She had Hiro bundled in blankets on the couch, sprained ankle sitting on three pillows, his favorite movie on TV, and soup on the stove. Baymax stood to the side, leaving Aunt Cass to her fussing.

"Hey, guys," Hiro said, waving.

"Kids, there you are," Aunt Cass said, turning from the stove. "Where did you find Hiro? I want the full story!"

Fred eagerly launched into a full-blown story, despite the lack of details the teens had about Hiro's rescue, the hidden facility on Akuma Island, and Smoke in general.

Go Go plopped down beside the couch. "Hey."

"Hey," Hiro mumbled. His eyes remained forward, and a bit unfocused.

"How do you feel?"

"Great." Hiro grinned. "He gave me painkillers."

"Ah…" Wasabi waved a hand in front of Hiro's eyes, but the younger teen didn't blink. "Did Smoke mention how long they would last?"

Hiro shrugged, shifting Mochi on his shoulder perch. "Dunno. Said I'd sleep it off."

Hiro yawned and closed his eyes, snoring softly a moment later. The teens shrugged and joined Fred and Aunt Cass in the kitchen.

"He fell asleep," Honey Lemon said.

"Oh. Well, I'll save this for tomorrow," Aunt Cass said, putting a lid over the soup.

Without warning, Aunt Cass grabbed Go Go in a hug. The hug was over before Go Go could pull away, then Aunt Cass moved on to the other teens.

"Thank you for finding Hiro," Aunt Cass said, stepping back with tears in her eyes. "If I'd lost Hiro, too…"

"All in the day of a superhero," Wasabi said with an awkward chuckle.

"That is something we need to discuss," Aunt Cass said, suddenly serious. "Do any of your parents know you do this?"

The teens, excluding Fred, cleared their throats and stared at their feet. Fred, however, just grinned.

"Yeah, my parents and Heathcliffe know."

Go Go slapped his arm. "You told your parents?"

"It was… complicated." Fred shifted his feet. "But since we use my house as a main base and training ground, I was going to have to explain eventually why so many statues got busted and why I need the chopper so much."

Aunt Cass blinked. "Chopper?" She looked Fred up-and-down, but didn't question him. "Well, at least there's someone you can call when you need help. Two someones now, because I expect to hear if _anything _happens to any of you from now on, are we clear?"

The teens took one look at Aunt Cass' scarily-serious face. They quickly nodded, throwing in a few "yep"s for good measure.

"Good," Aunt Cass said cheerfully. "Now, you four are spending the night, and no questions. Hiro will want to know what happened when he wakes up."

The teens agreed eagerly. They weren't too keen on leaving Hiro just then, anyway.

* * *

A few hours later, the teens were spread around the living room on cots. Aunt Cass had pulled them from a storage closet, explaining "they" used to use them all the time.

"Everyone cozy?" Aunt Cass asked, surveying the living room.

Wasabi had hung a blanket across the middle of the living room, giving the girls some privacy while still leaving everyone in easy view of Hiro. The teens, having changed into PJ's, nodded.

"Well, good-night." Aunt Cass ran a hand across Hiro's hair, then headed for her room. "Wake me up if Hiro wakes up, alright."

"Yes, ma'am," Wasabi said, earning a chuckle.

The teens settled down, exhausted from two days of little sleep.

Honey Lemon stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, then dug out her phone. She pulled up the photos she had taken in Smoke's hideout, and started scrolling.

"Honey Lemon?" Go Go mumbled. "What're you doing?"

"Something I saw in the lab's been bugging me," Honey Lemon said. "Notes for the portal were on the table in Smoke's room. See, here's a sketch of the portal."

Go Go rose up on her elbows. "You don't think Smoke's remaking that other portal, do you?"

"Oh, please no," Wasabi groaned, pulling back the blanket.

Honey Lemon zoomed up on one of the pictures. "No, Smoke isn't. These notes have a date on top for two years ago."

"He still could be," Go Go said. "We should head back to the island tomorrow, just in case."

Honey Lemon hummed, more focused on the old notes than anything. "Hey, listen to this. 'Testing today went better, but the containment field is still too weak to support the power for any sustained time. Professor Callaghan said he has-'"

"'Professor Callaghan?'" Go Go repeated. "You mean to say that Callaghan had an assistant?"

"It's gotta be Smoke!" Fred exclaimed, making the others jump.

"Keep it down," Go Go hissed.

"Oh, right." Fred dropped into a crouch, making Go Go roll her eyes.

"It wasn't Smoke, I don't think. The handwriting is wrong," Wasabi said, leaning close to Honey Lemon's phone. "Honey Lemon, do you have the note Smoke left in Hiro's lab?"

"Right here."

Honey Lemon dug the note from her pant's pocket and held it beside her phone. Sure enough, Smoke's note was written in a messy scrawl, where the assistant had neat, smooth handwriting.

"There could be two assistants," Honey Lemon said.

"Maybe, but right now, this is our best lead." Wasabi pointed to the phone. "I recognize this handwriting."

"Handwriting is handwriting," Go Go said.

"No, everyone's is a little bit different, and I know I've seen this one before. Maybe at the university?"

"That makes sense." Honey Lemon scrolled through her pictures. "Callaghan was familiar with most of the students. He could pick whoever he thought could help him."

The teens fell still, realizing _they _could have been picked by Callaghan.

Go Go shook her head. "We need to find the assistant. If it's a student at the university, all we need to do is find someone with that same handwriting, right?"

"Easier said than done," Wasabi mused. "What are we going to do, ask everyone for their signatures?"

"We could compare these notes to their work notes," Fred suggested.

"Yeah, because students love others poking at their notes," Go Go scoffed.

"Okay, find a reason for everyone to sign their names," Fred said. "I say, we make a petition."

"A petition? For what?" Wasabi asked.

"Taco Tuesdays?"

Honey Lemon focused on the notes on the screen. "What will we do when we do find this assistant, anyway?"

"Right now? Nothing. Unless they really are trying to recreate Silent Sparrow without Callaghan," Wasabi said. "Then we should just tell the police, and let them handle it."

Honey Lemon squinted at the screen. "I think we have them. They signed their name at the bottom of their notes!"

The other teens eagerly peered over her shoulder, but the picture was blurry from Honey Lemon's rush. The girl flipped to a clearer photo, and zoomed up on the signature.

For a moment, everything was silent as the teens processed their new information. Eventually, Fred spoke up.

"Why was Tadashi helping Callaghan with Silent Sparrow?"

* * *

**A/N: So many questions, so few answers, so much time to play with... **

**Show of hands! It occurred to me that Fred has nicknames for most of the teens, but canon never showed Tadashi or Hiro having one. Who wants to see nicknames for Tadashi, Hiro, Abigail, Jackson, and any other students who may pop up? (Nicknames would only be used when they are at the school, except for Hiro's, which would appear in daily conversation.)**


	9. Forgotten Story

**A/N: This chapter was sitting, mostly written, in my docs for a couple weeks now. I feel like I've missed something, but haven't been able to figure out for the life of me what it is. So, I'm just going to go ahead and post it.**

**And, nicknames are a go! I have Abigail's (Glitch) and Jackson's (Monitor) inserted in chapter three, and Hiro's is coming up. The nicknames are only used while the characters are in the open lab, and Jackson never uses them. Since Tadashi's nickname was never mentioned in canon, I'm still working on his nickname and when it would be used.**

**Response to Random Fan: Love the suspense, too. XD Well, it looks like a go for nicknames!**

* * *

Tadashi had been Callaghan's assistant? The idea seemed impossible, but the team knew Tadashi's signature.

Honey Lemon turned off the phone and shoved it into her backpack, recoiling away like the device might bite.

"Why would Tadashi help with something like that?" Honey Lemon asked, mind flashing back to the disaster the team had narrowly averted the previous year.

"He couldn't have known what Callaghan had planned," Go Go said promptly. "Callaghan could have made up an excuse."

"If Tadashi knew Abigail had been lost in the portal, he'd have helped," Fred said. "Maybe he thought he could help save her?"

"Even without Abigail, why _wouldn't_ Tadashi want to work with his hero in a secret project to do something no one's ever done before?" Wasabi added.

All very true reasons, but just knowing that Tadashi had helped with the project that had nearly destroyed San Fransokyo made them uncomfortable.

"We can't tell Hiro," Go Go said.

The teens gave her an odd look.

"Why not?" Honey Lemon asked. "Shouldn't Hiro know-"

"No," Go Go interrupted. "Hiro is finally ready to move on. This would only set him back."

"He has stopped flinching when Callaghan is mentioned," Wasabi added slowly.

"I guess telling him could just upset him," Honey Lemon said.

Fred leaned forward. "You do realize that keeping information like this away from our leader is going to bite us in the tail later, right?"

"So we're agreed," Go Go said, standing. "Hiro doesn't hear about this."

* * *

An hour later, Honey Lemon was still awake. While the others had fallen asleep, she kept tossing and turning.

Eventually, she pulled her phone back out and scrolled through Tadashi's old notes. She studied the hurried diagrams and notes Tadashi had left, but it didn't tell her anything about Silent Sparrow. Or Tadashi's thoughts on the project.

Someone shifting in the room distracted Honey Lemon from the phone. She sat up, then the sound became hurried.

"Who's awake?" Honey Lemon whispered.

"Look out!"

Honey Lemon flinched at Hiro's shout, then there was a two thuds as Go Go and someone else hit the floor. Honey Lemon scrambled to stand and, after a good deal of stumbling, found the lightswitch and turned on the lights. She spun around.

The first thing she noticed was Hiro, standing and shielding his eyes from the light. His free hand was clenched in a fist and his whole body was tense. Go Go was crouched beside her cot, eyes darting around. Wasabi was flailing out of his bedding, while Fred snored on.

"Hiro!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, darting across the room.

As soon as Honey Lemon touched Hiro, he jerked his arms out. Honey Lemon narrowly leaped away before he accidentally struck her, realization hitting her when Hiro stumbled away and toppled back onto the couch. Waving back her teammates, who started moving when Hiro fell, Honey Lemon spoke in a quiet voice.

"Hiro? Are you alright?"

Hiro lowered his hands, blinking rapidly. His eyes focused on Honey Lemon, then his brows creased.

"How-"

Aunt Cass's door swung open. "Kids, are you- Hiro!"

Hiro yelped as Aunt Cass grabbed him in a fierce hug, but he didn't struggle this time. His eyes darted around the room.

"Where- What-"

Baymax, who hadn't deactivated, waddled forward. He gently pried Aunt Cass from Hiro, explaining, "Hiro is experiencing shock. Give him some room, please."

Hiro writhed out of Baymax's grip and tried to step back. When his injured ankle took his weight, though, he flinched and fell back onto the couch. Hiro didn't move from there, eyes wide and he seemed to be struggling to breathe evenly.

"Where am I?" Before anyone could answer, Hiro twisted around and finally focused on the room. "How'd I get home? What about the fire?"

Aunt Cass blinked. "Hiro, that was yesterday."

"Yesterday? What- How did I get here?"

"Confusion is normal," Baymax said.

"How did I get here?" Hiro insisted.

"We brought you here," Honey Lemon said, then slowly went on to explain what they knew about Hiro's rescue.

While she talked, Hiro's frantic expression faded until he just looked tired. When Aunt Cass sat beside him and side-hugged him, instead of fighting he leaned into the embrace.

"How did Smoke get me out?" Hiro asked.

"We were hoping you'd know," Wasabi said. "We didn't see you or Smoke leave the fire. Not even Baymax detected him."

"It doesn't make any sense," Hiro mumbled, rubbing his irritated eyes.

Baymax held out a bottle of eyedrops and Aunt Cass helped Hiro drop the medicine into his eyes. Hiro blinked rapidly, brow furrowing as he finally seemed to come fully to the present.

"I kind of remember Smoke coming into the room I'd fallen into," Hiro said slowly. "He knew my name. My real name."

"He knew all of ours," Honey Lemon said.

"Yeah, he even knew about my fake guard dogs," Fred said, sounding both awed and creeped out.

"What happened next?" Go Go asked with her usual bluntness.

Hiro stared into space for a minute, then shook his head. "I can't remember. I must have blacked out. I was sure… I thought the house collapsed."

"It did," Wasabi said. "We lost contact with you, then the whole thing just…" he gestured helplessly.

"While I was still inside?" Hiro asked.

"You couldn't have been," Go Go said. "We checked all around the house when it collapsed. Someone would have seen you."

Hiro squinted. "Bu-ut… nobody saw Smoke leave with me, anyway."

"You really don't remember what happened?" Honey Lemon asked.

"No, just stop asking!" Hiro snapped.

"Hiro, they're just trying to help," Aunt Cass said, hugging Hiro closer.

Hiro's eyes lit up in alarm. "Aunt Cass! Did they…"

"Do you really think I wouldn't notice you were missing?" Aunt Cass scoffed.

Hiro wilted a bit. "I meant to tell you before, but… I didn't want you to worry."

"Oh, Hiro," Aunt Cass said. "I'm always going to worry about you. But at least I know you have your friends watching out for you. And your mysterious guardian angel, Smoke."

Hiro sighed in relief and slumped against Aunt Cass. "I'm glad. Didn't like keeping it a secret…"

Aunt Cass and the teens looked at Hiro and saw his eyes drifting shut. Now that the shock and medicine was wearing off, he started drifting into a natural sleep.

Aunt Cass grabbed his discarded blanket and wrapped it around them both. Honey Lemon turned off the lights, then the teens tip-toed back to their cots.


	10. Back To Normal?

**A/N: Dialogue chapters will be the end of me!**

**Response to guest reviewers:**

**Guest (1): I hope that was a good wow!**

**Random Fan: Oh, Fred did. He's read too many comics to _not_ know how this is all going to go down. Yep! Hiro is up, and Smoke is... missing. -waves in your vague direction-**

**Guest (2): Thanks!**

* * *

Hiro had to stay home for school for a couple days -Aunt Cass called to explain that Hiro had been in an accident, though she didn't give details- but it wasn't long before Hiro was fully recovered and returned to school.

During his recovery, Hiro desperately tried to recall anything about his time with Smoke. But all he managed to get was a headache, and his friends insisted that he stop trying.

The media was going crazy over Captain Hero's "death." The team thought it would blow over soon, but realized after a week of frenzy in the news, they had to do something. They suited up and went out on a rare patrol, just for the sake of letting people see that Hiro was back. They all agreed to never mention what had happened in the fire if the reporters ever caught up with them.

Smoke never made an appearance, either. Hiro set cameras up around the cafe and the team helped him keep an eye out, but the days went by without a sighting.

Eventually, Hiro decided to take matters into his own hands.

* * *

"Maybe it was a one-time thing?" Honey Lemon suggested one day in open lab.

"Who makes a suit like that, and only uses it once?" Fred said critically. "If I had an awesome suit, I'd wear it every day!"

"We know," Go Go dead-panned. "You already do. It's a wonder no one's figured out who you are yet."

"What happens in the lab, stays in the lab," Fred quoted. "It's not like I wear it outside unless it's necessary."

"You have a very broad term of 'necessary,'" Wasabi pointed out.

"Whoever Smoke is," Go Go, bringing the conversation back, "He's incredibly careful. We never saw him at the fire or until the day after, even though Micro thinks he's seen Smoke before."

"What if we went back to Akuma Island?" Fred asked.

"Because Micro made us promise to not go without him," Wasabi reminded him. "And I don't think he's ready to find out that-"

"Micro!" Honey Lemon said abruptly, cutting Wasabi off as the youngest teen walked up.

"Hey, guys."

Beaming, Hiro plopped onto an empty stool. He'd recovered well since the fire. Nobody would have guessed that he'd been trapped in a burning building two weeks before.

"You look chipper, Micro," Wasabi said suspiciously. "What's up?"

"Today's a good day to go back to Akuma Island, right?"

Wasabi, never one to keep his cool, made a fantastic display of denial. "Akuma Island? Never heard of it. Where was that again? East of here, lots of beaches-"

"Wasabi," Go Go hissed.

Hiro's eyes narrowed. "Did you go without me?"

"No," Honey Lemon assured him. "We just don't think it's a good idea to go."

Hiro looked at her incredulously. "Not a good idea? Come on, Akuma Island is the one hint we have to who Smoke is. You said he lives there, right?"

"In a secure, underground lab with one entrance and one code that nobody thought to memorize," Fred said, earning relieved looks over Hiro's head.

"There's got to be another way in," Hiro said. "You said there were living quarters? How could furniture fit down a narrow spiral staircase?"

Wasabi lifted a finger and opened his mouth, then hesitated. "Huh. Could've thought of that before getting spooked over the lack of footprints."

Hiro, who had heard the story already, nodded. "See? Smoke probably just said there was only one entrance so you wouldn't look for a less secret way inside."

"Smoke obviously loves his privacy," Honey Lemon said. "Maybe we should just leave him be?"

Wasabi face-palmed while Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"Leave him be? Aren't you just a little bit curious about even the hidden lab under the secret lab on a restricted island?" Hiro asked.

Wasabi separated his fingers to look at Hiro. "You know, when you put it like that, even less so."

"Think of what the labs could hold," Hiro went on. "All those secret experiments, maybe some aren't even done! Think of the lab notes!"

"Oh, we're thinking of the notes alright," Wasabi said under his breath.

"And, I, for one, really want to know how Smoke got into a burning building, then took me out and way out to an island out in the ocean. All without being noticed! You can't tell me that you don't want to know, too!"

The other teens hummed uncertainly. Hiro crossed his arms.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"What? Secrets? From you?" Wasabi laughed uncomfortably. "Whatever makes you think we're keeping secrets from you?"

"Micro, you don't remember the lab," Honey Lemon stepped in. "But it's dangerous there. Smoke said some of the experiments left behind are unstable."

"It can't be too bad if Smoke is there," Hiro argued.

"Smoke knows what places are unstable and where is safe," Wasabi said. "If we go wandering around down there, we're liable to get blown to pieces or dissolved into a pile of acid. Do you really want that?"

"Since when has risks deterred you from your curiosity?" Hiro asked.

"There's a big difference between risk in a lab where you know all the variables, and stepping into a lab that was abandoned for a reason!" Wasabi said.

"Because of one failed experiment! What if the lower labs were only abandoned after project Silent Sparrow?"

"It's still too dangerous," Wasabi persisted.

Hiro threw his hands in the air. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want me to go to Akuma Island."

"We're just worried," Honey Lemon said. "We don't want you getting hurt again."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Why don't you wrap me in bubble wrap and never let me leave my room?" He jumped to the floor and walked away.

Wasabi turned. "Micro, where-"

"Just getting something from my lab," Hiro said shortly.

The teens watched Hiro walk away. Honey Lemon shifted uncomfortably. Fred raised a finger and opened his mouth.

Go Go slapped a hand over his mouth and said, "Don't say it."

"Is everything alright?"

The teens flinched at Abigail's unexpected voice. They turned to the lab monitor with innocent smiles that convinced nobody.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," Wasabi said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've all been jumpy the last couple weeks," Abigail said. "Micro's been more distracted than normal… and Go Go is covering Fred's mouth."

Go Go jerked her hand away, grimacing at her palm.

"We have this… project," Honey Lemon said vaguely. "Micro's been impatient."

The teens and Abigail watched Hiro storm out of the private labs, across open lab, and outside, slamming the door along the way. Shortly after, they could hear his Vespa racing away.

"Well, all results come with time," Abigail said. "Just let me know if you need any help. That's what I'm here for, after all."

"Of course," Wasabi said, still looking slightly pained.

Abigail started to turn away, then paused. "And… watch out for Micro, huh? Dad says Micro reminds him of himself years ago, and…"

Abigail walked quickly away before the teens could respond. She returned to her and Jackson's table, serious expression melting away with a laugh over something Jackson said.

"How would Glitch know what Callaghan thinks of Micro?" Go Go asked.

"I'm sure they talk," Honey Lemon said. "Callaghan's in prison, but the police wouldn't keep Glitch away from her own father."

"Yeah, she goes every Saturday," Fred added.

"Fred, is it your life mission to spy on Glitch?" Wasabi asked. "How would you even know that?"

"She mentioned it to Monitor last week."

"And you just _happened_ to be walking by?" Go Go asked skeptically.

"It's not like it's a secret. Everyone knows." The others stared at him. "Okay, everyone but you."

"It's not our business what Glitch does on the weekends," Go Go said, sounding defensive.

"Okay, I was just saying," Fred said, raising his hands in surrender.

The teens were saved from an awkward silence by a buzzing under Honey Lemon's notebook. Honey Lemon moved the notebook, and they saw Hiro's phone underneath. A notification for a new text lit up the screen.

"Micro forgot his phone," Honey Lemon said, scooping up the phone. "We should take it back to him."

"I don't think Micro wants to see us right now," Fred said.

Go Go stood and snatched the phone. "He has to face facts. Akuma Island is simply too dangerous to go poking our noses into."

"Maybe we should try again," Fred suggested. "And just Honey Lemon can talk this time."

Go Go huffed. "Whoever can get through to him."

"Hey, hey," Wasabi said as the teens stood. "Talk later, clean first. I do _not_ want to hear Monitor's 'a clean lab is a safe lab' speech again. Trust me, I know it by heart."

Chuckling, the teens fell to cleaning Wasabi's work table. They were too rushed and distracted to notice Abigail and Jackson staring at them.

* * *

The drive to Aunt Cass' cafe was done in silence. Go Go wasn't one to twitch, but the others could see how tense she was and didn't dare try to make conversation. Finally, Wasabi pulled up in front of the cafe and the teens hurried out.

"If Hiro doesn't mention Akuma Island, neither do we," Honey Lemon said before anyone could speak. "He has to know it's too dangerous."

"He's just too stubborn to admit we're right," Go Go grumbled.

"Give Hiro a break," Fred said. "How would you like to be out of the know?"

"He's overreacting," Go Go said, pushing the door to the cafe open.

"Kids!" Aunt Cass said, catching sight of them from the register. She waved them over. "Back already?"

"School just got out," Wasabi said.

"Oh, I know," Aunt Cass said, turning to check the shelves. "It's just that Hiro was in such a rush when he was here a moment ago."

"He already left?" Honey Lemon said.

"Yes, him and Baymax," Aunt Cass said. "Was he supposed to wait?"

"Uh…" Honey Lemon glanced at the others. "It's fine, we'll catch up."

"Don't stay out too late," Aunt Cass said distractedly, then hurried away to help a customer, leaving the teens alone.

After a long moment, Wasabi said, "Hiro wouldn't go to Akuma Island alone after everything we told him, would he?"

No one bothered answering. The teens bolted out the door.

* * *

**A/N: And they still don't have the trackers on the suits! -sigh- They'll never learn. Well, what sort of trouble could Hiro even get into?**


	11. Just a Dusty Old Lab

**A/N: Dialogue chapters are almost painful to write, just staying.**

**Response to Random Fan: Funny you should mention the trackers... XD They have no right way to broach the topic, so they figure they could just... avoid it altogether. **

* * *

Hiro leaped from Baymax's back onto the cracked cement. He reflexively looked over his shoulder, across the water toward San Fransokyo. He frowned, then shook his head.

"Hiro."

Hiro jumped. "What, Baymax?"

"Are we waiting for the others?"

"No," Hiro said. "Baymax, where's the hidden entrance?"

Baymax's optical receptors whirred as he studied Hiro, but he turned and walked away. Hiro hurried to follow the robot through the forest to the backside of the building.

"You remember the code, right?" Hiro asked, bouncing from foot to foot.

"Of course," Baymax said.

Baymax opened the secret panel and put in the code. Hiro leaned eagerly forward as the door opened.

"Hiro!"

This time, Hiro's jump was accompanied with a yelp. He spun toward the voice and found himself facing an unfamiliar figure. He stared suspiciously at the stranger for a moment before speaking.

"You must be Smoke."

Smoke shrugged. "It's what your team wants to call me."

Hiro studied Smoke. "Where have you been?"

Smoke shrugged again, helmeted head turning to the side. "Here and there."

"Why did you help me?"

"Does a person need an excuse to help someone?" Smoke asked, a scoff in their voice.

"Well, no," Hiro admitted. "But what were you doing in the fire?"

"Same as you. Helping a kid."

Hiro cocked his head. "Toby?"

"You," Smoke said pointedly. "You're the one who ran into the fire."

"Someone had to help," Hiro said.

Smoke turned their head back to him. "Yes. I suppose someone did."

Hiro narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You've been hiding for two weeks, and you choose now to show up?"

"Hardly a coincidence. I'm just trying to keep you out of the lab."

Hiro narrowed his eyes. "What, you, too? Why is everyone telling me to stay out of there?"

"It's dangerous, Hiro!" Smoke said. "I don't want to see you get hurt!"

"You don't even know me!" Hiro snapped back. "Why is this so important to you?"

Smoke was quiet for a long moment, before saying quietly, "It just is."

Hiro looked from Smoke to the door. "If it's so dangerous in there, why don't you guide me?"

Smoke shook their head. "Just stay out of the rooms with the hazard signs on the door. That's where all the unstable experiments are. And, I'd hurry."

Hiro looked in the direction Smoke pointed, but only saw the empty sky over San Fransokyo. "What? I'm sure the team is following me by now, but-"

Hiro stopped as he turned back to Smoke. Or, where Smoke had been. They'd completely vanished without a sound!

"He-hey!" Hiro glanced at Baymax, but the robot was still watching the sky. He muttered, "Now I know why Fred thinks he's a ghost." Louder, he said, "Come on, Baymax. Time to figure out what's so dangerous."

Hiro turned on his helmet lights and stepped through the door. He looked around the dusty stairwell, then made his way down the creaking steps. He soon reached the door at the bottom and pushed it open. Seeing the hallway of doors, Hiro sighed.

"Where did you guys find me, Baymax?" Hiro asked.

Hiro let Baymax pass to lead the way, then followed. He eyed the doors as they passed. Some had the hazmat symbol hanging on the doorknob, others had a plate with either a name or a random jumble of letters, and still others had no indication of the room's purpose at all.

"Here it is," Baymax said, stopping so suddenly that Hiro nearly ran into him.

Hiro stepped past Baymax. He put a hand on the doorknob, then hesitated. After a moment, his eyes narrowed. Taking a deep breath, Hiro thrust the door open.

* * *

"We probably should have brought Hiro here," Honey Lemon said as the team jumped out of Fred's family chopper.

Go Go gave her a "are you crazy?" look. "We were trying to avoid this."

"And we could have, if we'd just brought Hiro here before this," Honey Lemon said.

"There's no point wasting time on what we 'could' have done," Wasabi broke in. "What are we going to do now? What if Hiro's found… you know."

"You're the ones who wanted to pretend you'd never seen the truth about Tadashi." Fred stuck his head back in the chopper. "Hey, Heathcliffe, you can head back home. We'll catch a ride with Baymax." He hopped back and turned to see the others glaring at him. "What?"

"Stop making Tadashi sound like a bad guy," Go Go said.

"What did I say?" Fred asked. The others just turned away. "No, seriously, what did I say?"

"Nothing, just…" Honey Lemon sighed. "I think you've read too many comic books."

Fred gave her a sincerely confused frown. "Huh?"

"This isn't a tragic hero backstory, Fred," Go Go snapped, then stormed into the woods.

Fred looked at Honey Lemon and Wasabi. "It kind of is."

Fred's teammates just shook their heads and followed Go Go. Fred shrugged and ran after them.

The team made their way to the secret door, where they found themselves with an issue.

"Remember when I said nobody knows the code to get inside?" Fred said. "That still applies."

"Why were we worried about Hiro getting inside again?" Wasabi asked.

"Because Baymax probably knows the code!" Go Go snapped.

"Oh," said her teammates.

Go Go gave them withering looks. She opened her mouth to comment, then started when the door rumbled. The team automatically stepped back defensively as the door slid open, relaxing when they saw it was Hiro.

"Hey," Hiro said, not acting at all surprised. "Took you long enough."

"You were expecting us?" Honey Lemon asked.

"I knew you'd follow me," Hiro said, rolling his eyes.

"So, you waited for us. Right there," Wasabi stated.

"No, I was below." Hiro lifted his wrist. "But I added trackers to your suits."

Go Go didn't even glance at his wrist-comp. "What did you find?"

Hiro shrugged. "Nothing." His eyes narrowed as Honey Lemon and Wasabi exchanged startled looks. "Why?"

"It's an old lab that looked abandoned in a rush, why wouldn't there be anything?" Fred asked.

"Well, there's stuff here," Hiro said. "But… well, here, I'll show you."

Hiro vanished back inside. The team shrugged helplessly and followed. Hiro led them back to the room in which Smoke had kept Hiro. Hiro stopped beside Baymax at the door and gestured inside.

The room was… well, it wasn't empty, but it wasn't at all like it had been two weeks before. It was just a dorm room with four bunkbeds and matching furniture.

"Is this the right room?" Fred asked as the team entered the room.

"Pretty sure," Wasabi said, looking around.

"Baymax said it was," Hiro said.

"It can't be," Go Go said. "Why would Smoke go through all the trouble of rearranging the furniture like this?"

Hiro looked quickly at her. "Wait, what? This isn't how it looked when you found me?"

"No," Go Go said. "Most of the furniture was gone."

"That's a lot trouble for someone to go through for a hidden lab," Hiro said.

"Smoke had to know we'd come back," Wasabi said logically.

"And he makes a point to be as mysterious as possible," Go Go muttered.

"But… why?" Hiro asked.

"Let's ask him." Fred leaned into the hall. "Hey, Smoke!"

The teen waited expectantly for Smoke to pop out of a random room.

The silence stretched on for a while before Wasabi said, "Maybe he's not here."

"No, he's here." Hiro joined Fred, frowning down the hall. "He tried to stop me from coming inside."

"Well, whoever Smoke is, he obviously doesn't know you too well," Go Go said.

"I don't think he was trying too hard," Hiro said. "If he really wanted to keep us out, he would have changed the password."

"Let's just go home," Honey Lemon said, walking toward the exit.

The rest of the team exchanged startled looks, then followed.

"Don't you want to look around?" Hiro asked.

"No," Honey Lemon said. She glanced around with a shiver. "This place… it isn't right. Can't you feel it?"

The rest of the team started to say no, but they couldn't help glancing around the dusty hall. The place was massive, dark, and unstable. The team wasn't one to skirt danger, but they were sensible enough to avoid dangerous places serving no purpose.

"That's just silly," Hiro finally said. "Remember all the half-finished tests we wanted to find?"

"If they were so important, the scientists would have continued them elsewhere," Honey Lemon said. "Even if they evacuated immediately after the Silent Sparrow project fell apart, they wouldn't have left important projects behind."

Hiro deflated. "Oh. Right."

"I know it isn't what you wanted," Honey Lemon said comfortingly. "But maybe this place really is just a dusty old lab."

"I just thought…" Hiro shook his head. "I really thought there was something to this place."

"Maybe while it was still in use," Wasabi said. "But after all this time? Rodents and bugs are bad enough at the university, they've probably destroyed most of the stuff still here."

Hiro, staring down the hall, didn't respond. His brow furrowed as his distant-glazed eyes followed something only he could see.

"We probably shouldn't even be breathing the air," Wasabi said, changing his breaths to be more shallow. "How long has it been? Twenty years? Do you know what happens to enclosed air after twenty years?"

There was a negative chirp from Baymax. "I am detecting no toxins in the air. In fact, the air is very clean here."

"Good filtering systems," Wasabi suggested with an appreciative nod. "If they had testy experiments here, they'd need clean air to avoid contamination."

"Your admiration for the filtration system is noted," Go Go said drily. "Are we leaving or not, Hiro?"

Hiro blinked back to the present with a start. He focused on the team, eyes hardening.

"Honey Lemon is right," Hiro said. "Something is wrong with this place."

Hiro's statement put the team immediately on edge. They quickly started for the entrance by silent agreement.

"We obviously wouldn't be able to find Smoke unless he wanted us to, anyway," Hiro said with finality. He glanced back, then shook his head. "Come on."

The team filed through the exit and closed the door tightly behind them. For a moment, the only sound in the hall was the muffled sound of the team tramping up the stairs.

After a minute of silence, a clatter of metal on stone echoed through the lab. Then, Smoke darted across the hall toward the sound.

* * *

**A/N: An intentionally anti-climatic chapter. Originally, something different was going to happen, but then I realized it was too early for it. Instead, this chapter is building toward that event.**

**Just what is Smoke up to? Theories are wildly encouraged! ;)**


	12. Field Trip!

**A/N: Go Go is in her prime in this chapter. XD**

**Good news! I'll be posting next Saturday as well! I finished two chapters recently, but was hesitant to post at first because things have suddenly started moving _very_ fast. It will either slow down in a couple chapters, or there will be less build-up than I originally thought. I should really slow down for some calmer, characters-just-hanging-out stuff, but we'll see how that goes. ;)**

**Response to Random Fan: Nope, no spoilers! :) Smoke kind of is stalking... but how else can one keep track of Hiro? Hm, you've got a point. I've never been good at determining the climax of a story, but it's probably in the next few chapters. And, awesome about your story! Be sure to let me know when you do! (Granted, my reading time is next to nil, so...) Still no spoilers. ;)**

* * *

"Abigail is out sick today, so take it easy on Jackson in open lab."

Hiro blinked back to the present at the announcement over the intercom in the hall. He glanced at the speaker, then at Wasabi.

"Abigail's out?" Hiro asked.

"Sounds like it," Wasabi said, starting to frown.

Go Go, on Wasabi's other side, piped up, "No wiping down her station in open lab."

"What if it's contagious?" Wasabi protested.

"Unless you lick her table, you'll be fine."

Wasabi gagged and had to turn away from Go Go's smirk. Hiro, unresponsive to the conversation, continued to stare at the intercom until a slamming locker jolted him back to the present.

* * *

Hiro was distracted. He didn't offer a single answer during class as he simply went through the motions of the day. His friends tried to ask him what was wrong, but Hiro would only shake his head or say nothing was wrong.

Everyone highly doubted that, especially when their persistent prodding continued to only receive mild responses.

When it came time for open lab, Hiro was nowhere to be found. The rest of the team searched the building, Honey Lemon finally finding Hiro as he came out of the dean's office.

Honey Lemon was immediately worried. "Hiro, what's wrong?"

Hiro blinked at her. "Nothing, really."

"But, why did you have to see the dean?" Honey Lemon asked.

"I just needed something for my project this afternoon," Hiro said evasively.

"Oh…" Honey Lemon put her hand on his shoulder. "The rest of us are willing to help, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," Hiro said, shrugging away from her touch. "Speaking of helping, wasn't Wasabi working on his plasma gloves today?"

"Yes," Honey Lemon said, falling in beside Hiro as he headed for the lab.

Along the way, the pair was spotted by Go Go.

"There you are," Go Go said, walking up to them. "Where were you?"

Hiro rolled his eyes. "I just had to talk to the dean to get something set up."

"'Set up'? What do you need for your project?" Honey Lemon asked.

"What am I, five? I don't need you guys hovering," Hiro said with a bit of a snap.

Wasabi walked up in time to hear Hiro's last statement. He responded, "We just don't want you going to dangerous islands alone again."

Wasabi was half-joking, but Hiro's expression took on a scowl.

"I can take care of myself," Hiro said.

Seeing Go Go was about to retort, Honey Lemon spoke up. "We know, Hiro. But, we're a team. Let us worry about you a little bit, hm?"

"If it makes you happy," Hiro grumbled.

The older teens exchanged concerned looks, but let it drop. They returned to open lab, somewhat reluctantly.

Everyone liked Jackson well enough, but he tended to act as if somebody might blow up the school if he didn't remind them of lab safety every five minutes.

The teens returned to Wasabi's table, where Fred joined them soon after. They bent over their work, doing their best to ignore Jackson.

Honey Lemon did, however, pause to catch Jackson's arm when he passed behind them. Jackson jumped, like he'd been electrocuted, then schooled his features.

"Hey, where's Glitch today?" Honey Lemon asked. "Dean Granville didn't explain."

"Home," Jackson said, glancing across the room. "Just caught a bug, I think." His eyes focused on something else. "Brody!"

The team turned toward Brody's station. Brody jerked his head up from where it had been resting on his desk. He blinked owlishly at Jackson, little bits of wire tangled into his hair and an indent of the ATS' legs on his cheek.

"Spider sleeps?" Go Go joked as Jackson hurried over to berate the unfortunate boy. "I was convinced he was a robot running on coffee."

"Nah, what are the chances of two coffee-powered robots going to the same school?" Fred asked, completely serious.

"I'm going to regret this, but who's the other 'robot'?" Wasabi asked.

"Ziggy," Fred said.

The team turned as one. Ziggy was an energetic student who was in a perpetual state of finger-tapping. The girl's short hair was permanently frizzed out from running her hands through it and more than a few electrocutions as she experimented with electricity.

"I've never seen her outside the lab," Fred went on. "She's always here when I get here in the morning, and in her private lab when I leave."

"She couldn't, though," Wasabi said. "Abigail makes sure the labs are empty before she leaves at night."

"She just makes sure all the lights are off," Fred said.

"See? Ziggy couldn't spend the night here," Wasabi said.

Fred's eyes narrowed. "Robots don't need lights to recharge."

The other teens leaned away from Fred's intense stare. Honey Lemon glanced at Hiro, and saw he'd become distant again.

"Hiro," she said, startling Hiro back to the present. "The rest of us were going to Fred's place after school for practice."

"Oh, er… I can't make it today," Hiro said. "I've got my project."

"When are you going to clue us in on your mystery project?" Fred asked.

Wasabi, Go Go, and Honey Lemon winced, but Hiro only grinned. "Maybe the night before presentation, if you're nice."

The rest of the team playfully groaned at Hiro's response. They quickly finished up their work and headed out.

"Are you sure you can't make it today?" Fred asked as they stepped outside.

Hiro nodded. "I just need to get something done. Tomorrow, maybe?"

Hiro's friends sighed and agreed. Hiro grinned and jogged to the parking lot, where Dean Granville was waiting.

"The dean will make sure Hiro stays out of trouble, right?" Wasabi asked nobody in particular.

"She should," Go Go said. "We might as well get going."

The teens didn't move, only watched the dean's car drive off.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hiro stepped out of Dean Granville's car and swung his backpack onto his back. He stared up at the imposing building in front of him, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" the dean offered, already reaching for the door handle.

"N-no," Hiro stammered. He cleared his throat. "No thanks, I'll be fine. Thanks for the ride."

"Alright. Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Dean Granville asked.

"I can walk home," Hiro said. He murmured, "I'll need the air."

"Good luck, Hiro," Dean Granville said before driving away.

Hiro watched her car drive off. He twitched, like he was going to run after her, before he clenched his fists. With obvious effort, he turned back to the building.

"It's okay," Hiro murmured to himself. He reached into his backpack, pulling out Tadashi's hat and putting it on his head. "It's fine. I can do this."

Hiro tugged on the straps of his backpack and made himself march forward. He was soon stopped by a massive metal door, and waited while it was pushed open for him. He passed through several of these doors, spoke with a half-dozen official people in green uniforms, and waited for nearly an hour in an empty room before he reached his destination.

Hiro was trying not to hyperventilate as he was led into a small room with a table extending from the wall and a chair. Hiro dropped the notebook on the table -he'd had to leave his backpack in the waiting room- and settled on the chair, absently twitching the chair into place with a foot as he sat.

In front of the table, the wall had been replaced with thick glass. On the other side was an equally bare room. Beside the glass on both sides was a phone, similar to the old landlines.

Hiro breathed out. "I can do this."

Despite his words, Hiro flinched when the door in the other room opened. An older, worn-looking man in an orange outfit was led in by one of the officials. He nodded to the officials, who closed the door. The man shuffled toward the chair, movements hampered by the cuffs on his wrists and ankles.

Halfway to the chair, the man glanced up. He froze, blue eyes going wide.

Hiro, stare leveling into a glare, silently picked up his side of the phone. The man shuffled to his end and picked up the phone, staring through the glass without bothering to sit.

"Hiro?" came the man's voice.

Hiro's voice was flat as he said, "Callaghan."

* * *

**A/N: My heart was racing while I was writing this chapter and the next one.**

**Next chapter next Saturday, then hopefully yet another on January 11th. It's pretty short right now, and incredibly hard to write.**


	13. The One Who Knew

**A/N: And, suddenly, plot is a thing.**

**Response to Random Fan: Callaghan's back! Hiro dealing with his emotions about Callaghan was a must and, well... you'll see.**

* * *

"When they told me one of my former students wanted to see me, I… well, I never would have guessed it to be you."

Hiro stared at the man. Callaghan was pale and thin with shadows under sad eyes. His shoulders bowed like he was carrying a weight.

Hiro closed his eyes. "It's not by choice."

"No?" Callaghan sounded genuinely curious.

"What happened on Akuma Island?"

"Do you mean Silent Sparrow?"

"No- Ye- I-I don't know." Hiro opened his eyes to Callaghan's confused face. "This was a mistake."

"Wait, wait!" Callaghan said before Hiro could hang up. "Have you been to Akuma Island?"

"Yes."

"Did you know there's a hidden lab beneath it?"

"Yes," Hiro said, watching Callaghan startle. "It's a long story you don't need to know."

"Fair enough." Callaghan sat with a heavy sigh. "But, you have questions about the experiments in the lower labs."

"I was there. The whole place, it felt wrong. Like… like something was missing o-or too much for the small space."

"Aftereffects of the old Jay project and early prototypes of Silent Sparrow," Callaghan said. "The portal, it bent space and time. In the days before the official showing of Silent Sparrow, some scientists reported feeling the same way as you. Some said reality felt distorted. Objects would shift, they'd see things that had been there or would be there, or even heard voices."

"The island wasn't just shut off because the project failed," Hiro breathed.

Callaghan nodded. "The military reported radio signals failing around Akuma Island. We thickened the walls of the lab and used lead between the new layers."

"We kept the distortion within our labs, but it only made things worse in the lower labs. Thus, we moved to the now main lab and sealed off the lower lab for most personnel. We didn't know what extended exposure to the distortion would do."

"What then?" Hiro asked.

"Silent Sparrow was more contained by that point, so we didn't have the same issues with later attempts."

"I see."

Hiro absently fingers fiddled with the brim of the hat, eyes distant. Callaghan waited for the boy to speak or leave.

"I felt… I could have sworn…" Hiro blinked, eyes hardening. "I don't know why I'm telling you this; it's all your fault. And now I'm hearing Tadashi's voice and-"

Hiro cut himself off, ducking his head to hide his face beneath the hat.

On the other side of the glass, Callaghan's face twisted in pain. He put the phone on the table and dropped his head into his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Hiro," Callaghan whispered. "I didn't… I did try to save him."

Hiro, unable to hear Callaghan, sniffed and glared with watery eyes at the desk. He rubbed his eyes, then motion caught his attention. He looked up to see Callaghan gesturing to the phone. Hiro frowned and returned his end to his ear.

"I know you don't want to hear it all from me," Callaghan said softly. "So, I know where you can find a book of notes by someone we both trusted."

Hiro's hand tightened at Callaghan's last word. "'Trusted'?"

"In the lower labs, find the room marked, 'Dorm room 13.' It should be easy to find."

Hiro blinked, then scowled. "I've been in that room."

"Good. There's a SFIT notebook somewhere in there. He usually kept it on the couch, and it should still be there."

Hiro thought for a second. "I was in that room. There's no couch."

"Then you couldn't have been in the right room," Callaghan said. "He always kept it on the couch…"

"Who is 'he'?" Hiro asked.

Callaghan sighed. Drew a hand down his face, then raised his eyes to Hiro's. "It was Tadashi's notes."

Hiro squinted. "What? How could Tadashi have anything about Silent Sparrow? That was twenty… twenty years ago?"

Callaghan shook his head. "His notes. From two years ago."

Hiro's end of the phone clattered to the desk. Hiro stared at Callaghan, eyes widening in shock, then realization, then horror.

"You're lying!" Hiro screamed at the glass. "Tadashi would never help you with that!"

"He did," Callaghan said, forcing Hiro to snatch up the phone to hear. "When I told him about Abigail, he wanted to help."

"No, no, he wouldn't! That means…" Hiro shook his head. "If he'd known what you were doing, why did he run into the fire?"

"He didn't!" Callaghan insisted. "I decided at the last second. I was sure he was long gone before I-"

"Shut up!" Hiro screamed into the phone. "Just- just stop! I don't have to listen to this! I-I don't!"

"You have to know, Hiro-"

"I don't want to hear what you have to say," Hiro growled.

The door opened and one of the wardens said, "Okay, Callaghan, you've upset the kid enough."

"Just ten seconds," Callaghan said distractedly. He locked eyes with Hiro. "Listen, Tadashi just-"

Hiro slammed the phone into its cradle, fire in his eyes as he glared at Callaghan. The former professor lowered his gaze. Carefully, he hung up his end and stood.

Hiro kept his glare on Callaghan as he was led from the room. He didn't move until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, twisting to see a warden looking down at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hiro said flatly. "I just… I don't know what I expected to hear."

Hiro was silent as he was led back to the waiting room. He retrieved his backpack and fast-walked for the exit. With his head down, he was unaware of the sympathetic gaze of the receptionist as he hurried by.

Cool air hit his flaming cheeks, giving Hiro some relief. He kept his head down and rushed down the steps, just wanting to get away. Halfway down the steps, he crashed into someone.

"Sorry," Hiro mumbled, trying to dodge around.

"Hiro," came Wasabi's voice.

Hiro froze. He lifted his eyes to find Wasabi, Go Go, Honey Lemon, and Fred in front of him.

Honey Lemon took one look at his teary eyes and grabbed the boy in a hug. "Oh, Hiro. Why did you come here alone?"

"I had a question." Hiro rubbed his eyes. "I-I don't know why… He's… He's a liar."

Go Go's glare could have dropped a person on the spot. "What did he tell you, Hiro?"

"He said…" Hiro's face twisted, pain in his eyes. "H-he told me th-that Tadashi… Tadashi was helping him!"

Honey Lemon hugged Hiro tighter, her own tears falling as Hiro trembled against her. She lifted her eyes to the rest of the team, and found the same regret in their faces.

They should have told Hiro about Tadashi's notes sooner. Now, he'd had to learn the truth from the man who'd caused Tadashi's death.

* * *

Callaghan tapped his fingers against his fist as he walked. He squinted in thought, finally speaking about halfway back to his cell.

"Warden, I believe you owe me a phone call."

He'd earned phone privileges a couple months before, though it was rare for him to use them.

"After that fiasco back there?" Warden Fenton scoffed. "What did you say to the kid?"

"A notebook of his brother's was lost," Callaghan explained. "It had some important notes for him inside. I didn't realize it was missing and brought it up. Now, the call? I've been on my best behavior, you know.""

Warden Fenton hummed in thought, then turned Callaghan's path. The pair soon ended up at the office used for the inmate phone calls.

"You know the drill," the warden said, stationing himself at the door.

"This will only take a minute," Callaghan promised.

Callaghan dialed the familiar number and waited. As the phone continued to ring, Callaghan started tapping his fingers against his leg. He stopped when he noticed Warden Fenton staring.

By the time the person on the other end picked up, he was too antsy to even make a proper greeting.

"Where did you put the notebook?"

* * *

**A/N: See what I meant about things picking up? I really, really want to post the next chapter right now because it has so much going on for such a small chapter, _but_ I should really keep a little buffer so maybe I can still post weekly? Maybe? Well, see you next week.**


	14. Out of Nowhere

**A/N: One of my favorite things about this story is coming up with chapter titles. Chapter titles are a dying practice.**

**Kind of a short chapter, but there is _so_ much going on. This, people, is the game-changing chapter. **

**(Incredibly dramatic, I know, but it is!)**

**Response to Random Fan: Don't worry, the poor kid gets a nap in this chapter. 0w0 And, yeah, Callaghan has way too many connections for his own good. Excellent, I was so excited about the next chapter.**

* * *

"Cass?"

"Go Go, welcome!" Aunt Cass said, not turning from the stove. "Hey, is Hiro with you? He wasn't responding to my texts and I was starting to worry."

"He's here," Go Go said.

Something in her voice made Aunt Cass turn. Go Go was as restless as her tone, hands shifting on the straps of her backpack and eyes on everything but Aunt Cass.

Aunt Cass' hand tightened on the spoon. Go Go had looked the same way bringing the news about Hiro and the fire.

"What happened?" Aunt Cass said.

Go Go's gaze snapped to her. "Hiro went to see Callaghan. Alone."

Aunt Cass' hand went to her mouth. "Oh, no."

"If we'd known-" Go Go broke off as Aunt Cass hurried by.

Aunt Cass found Hiro standing in the cafe, surrounded by his teammates and Mochi curling around his ankles. His horribly blank gaze was fixed on Tadashi's hat and he was unresponsive to Honey Lemon's urges to sit.

"Hiro?" Aunt Cass said tentatively, putting her hand on Hiro's shoulder.

Hiro blinked. Stared at Aunt Cass for a long second, as if he didn't recognize her. He finally spoke.

"Tadashi was a good guy, right?"

"What?" Aunt Cass asked in a whisper. "Yes, yes!"

"He… he did things…" Hiro swallowed. "He helped Callaghan with the teleporter."

"Oh, Hiro." Aunt Cass got on her knees to be eye-level with Hiro. "Tadashi was an amazing, smart boy who only wanted to help… well, the whole world. Helping Callaghan with such a project must have been a dream come true."

"But, he had to know?"

Not a statement. A question. Uncertainty filled Hiro's eyes, pleading with Aunt Cass to tell him no.

So, she did. "No, he didn't, Hiro. He couldn't have. Tadashi never would have helped with such a horrible plan. Not for a heartbeat. You hear me? Never."

The more she talked, the more Aunt Cass' voice rose.

"I don't know what lies Callaghan told Tadashi, but they must have been good. If I ever see that man again…" Aunt Cass shook her head, focusing on her nephew. "Tadashi only ever saw the good in people. If he thought for a second that the teleporter would be used for revenge, I know he would have walked away. I know it. You know it, too."

Hiro sniffled. "I-I… why didn't he tell me? He sh-shared everything! Why w-wouldn't he t-tell me?"

"Oh, honey." Aunt Cass scooped Hiro into a hug. "Tadashi looked up to Callaghan. He must have told Tadashi to not tell anyone. Don't be upset that he didn't tell you."

Hiro shook his head into Aunt Cass' shoulder. "I'm not… 'cause I would've done the same… I just thought… I was okay… then he said Tadashi's name and…"

Aunt Cass hugged Hiro closer. Hiro slumped against her, too wrung out to resist.

Briiiiiiiing!

Aunt Cass and Hiro jumped, startled by the smoke alarm.

"Oh, the rice!" Aunt Cass said.

"On it!" Go Go darted from the room.

Aunt Cass turned back to Hiro, but the moment was broken. Hiro pulled away from Aunt Cass and walked away.

"Hiro," Aunt Cass said, reaching out.

Hiro paused, hand on the door. "I-I'm fine. I just… I need a moment."

Hiro darted from the room before Aunt Cass could respond. He rushed through the slightly smoky apartment to his room, slamming the door behind him and leaning against it.

Baymax, waiting in his charging station, turned his head. "Hiro?"

Hiro kept his eyes on the hat in his hand. "Did Tadashi ever mention… Akuma Island?"

Baymax whirred, then shook his head. "I do not have any record of Tadashi talking of Akuma Island. However, my data-bases-"

"Never mind," Hiro interrupted. "Just… just forget it."

Hiro pushed off from the door and shuffled to his desk. He took off his backpack and pulled out Microbot.

"Microbot, secure room," Hiro said.

Microbot hopped from Hiro's palm to the desk. Hiro had programmed the little bot to keep an eye on his room during the night, in case of thieves and the occasional testy experiment that may or may not explode.

Once Microbot was activated, Hiro laid on his bed. He stared at the ceiling, listlessly calling the negative when Aunt Cass and his team urged him to come out and eat.

Eventually, Hiro was left in silence. The room slowly darkened as the evening wore on. Hiro's eyes started to drift shut. He fought to stay awake for a bit, but the emotional day had taken a heavy toll on the boy. It wasn't long before Hiro's eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply.

Baymax waddled over to Hiro. With surprising nimbleness for such a marshmallowy robot, Baymax got the blanket out from under Hiro and covered him. Baymax then turned off the lights and went back to his charging station to keep an eye on Hiro.

For several hours, Hiro slept undisturbed under the silent vigil of the two robots. It was sometime after midnight, when the city was dark and silent, that the robots moved.

Microbot scurried toward the window, then froze mid-step. Its arms went limp, then its legs, causing Microbot to topple to the desktop.

Across the room, Baymax's charging station turned off. Baymax turned his head toward Microbot. His vocal receptors flickered, then "closed" as he powered down as well.

For a moment, nothing moved in the room. Then, the air in the middle of the room rippled, like the air over sun-baked pavement. There was a slight crackle, then Smoke appeared mid-stride and the mirage effect vanished.

Smoke dropped to their knees. They grabbed the desk one hand, steadying themselves while keeping their other arm clamped to their side. Their shoulders heaved, stifled panting loud in the small room.

Smoke turned their head toward Hiro. Luckily, he was a deep sleeper and barely stirred at the noise Smoke was making.

Still. No time to linger.

Smoke lifted their other arm, then fumbled to catch the notebook pinned between their arm and body. They caught it, letting out a ragged sigh.

With effort, Smoke pushed themselves to their feet and turned to Hiro. Carefully, Smoke set the notebook on Hiro's arm flung in front of his face. Smoke lifted their hand away, then paused. Slowly, they reached toward Hiro.

Hiro abruptly shifted, causing his hand to smack against the notebook. He grimaced in his sleep, eyelids fluttering.

Smoke took a stumbling step back. The mirage effect returned, then Smoke vanished before their foot hit the floor.

Hiro mumbled drowsily as Microbot perked back to life. Baymax chirped, then scanned the room. The slight noises roused Hiro further. He pushed himself onto his elbows, blinking at the room.

When nothing happened, Hiro laid back down. His arm brushed the notebook, startling him back into awareness. He jerked away and stared at the notebook, like it might attack him. Hiro's eyes darted around the room. Seeing no one, he slowly reached out and pulled the notebook closer.

Hiro turned on a desk light and opened the cover. Almost immediately, he slammed the notebook shut. He stared at the cover, breathing hard for a moment before he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, let it out, then opened the notebook again and began to read.

Within the first page, Hiro's eyes welled up with tears. He absently rubbed them away with a scowl before going to the next page. And the next. And the next.

And even as tears streamed freely down his cheeks, a crooked grin formed on Hiro's lips.

* * *

**A/N: All cool here? Cool, cool... it'll be a bit dull for a bit, but I'm excited for the next chapter. **

**Who's ready for Tadashi's nickname?**

**(I'm looking for theories, people! ;P)**

**I will also be updating the synopsis soon. **


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